§ 24. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made to ensure that pupils receive a minimum two hours physical education per week within the curriculum. [40745]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisThe White Paper: "Schools: achieving success" sets out our commitment to physical education and school sport. We have pledged that all children will be entitled to two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week, within and beyond the curriculum.
To help deliver this, we have a School Sport Co-ordinator programme—494 co-ordinators are already in place and are working to increase the quality and quantity of after school sport and inter-school competition and to enhance links between local schools and their communities.
£130 million has been committed to rebuild primary school sport and arts facilities through the Space for Sports and Arts programme. A further £541 million from the New Opportunities Fund will be used to improve both primary and secondary schools sports facilities in every local education authority.
We are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and other partners, to expand the current programmes to assist schools in meeting the PE and school sport entitlement.