§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in line with their commitment to fund elite sportsmen and sportswomen with additional Exchequer funding to the value of £10 million per annum for financial year 2001–02 to 2004–05, have fulfilled this pledge to date. [HL4338]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)The Government have committed to fund our elite athletes at the same level in the four-year cycle leading up to the Athens Olympics in 2004, as in the four-year cycle leading up to the Sydney Olympics 2000 and will meet this commitment.
The Government did not commit to fund elite sportsmen and sportswomen with additional 183WA Exchequer funding to the value of £10 million per annum.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have implemented all the recommendations of the Cunningham report to the Prime Minister on elite sports funding. [HL4339]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe Elite Sports Funding Review chaired by Dr Cunningham made over 50 recommendations, the large majority of which are for the Sports Councils and national governing bodies of sport to take forward. The review was discussed at the Sports Cabinet on 31 October 2001, chaired by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The Cabinet brings together the Sports Ministers and Chairmen of the Sports Councils from each of the devolved administrations. At the cabinet, the Sports Councils accepted and are now implementing the overwhelming majority of the recommendations.
Following the recent spending review, a ring-fenced allocation of £4.7 million for 2004–05 and 2005–06 has been provided to UK Sport to enable it to take forward some of the outstanding recommendations that involved an increase in expenditure. Some of the recommendations relate to the World Class Plans and cannot be implemented until the current four-year plans have been completed. The department will continue to work with UK Sports, the devolved administrations and Sport England to ensure that implementation of the recommendations is effective and continues to remain relevant to the changing environment of high performance sport.
The Government did not commit to provide an additional £10 million of Exchequer funding to elite athletes. The Government are committed to fund elite athletes at the same level in the four-year cycle to the Athens Olympics as in the four-year cycle leading to Sydney.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to fund United Kingdom elite athletes at the same level, in real terms, as they were funded up to the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. [HL4340]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyFollowing the success of Team GB at the Sydney Olympics the Sports Cabinet agreed that funding should remain at the same level in the four-year cycle leading up to Athens as it had been in the four-year cycle leading up to Sydney. In the four-year cycle leading up to the Sydney Games £100 million had been spent to support élite UK athletes.
There is no change to this commitment.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to cover the investment deficit for United Kingdom elite athletes in view of the reduction in Lottery support for the World Class Programme. [HL4341]
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§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe Government remain committed to providing funding to UK elite athletes at the same level in the four-year cycle leading up to Athens as it had been in the four-year cycle leading up to Sydney.