§ Captain Pluggeasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in giving effect to proposals to utilise the machinery of existing organisations to carry out the provisions 727W of the new Act on national physical training, he has taken any action in this direction hitherto or what he proposes to take?
Mr. LindsayIn the Government's White Paper issued in January last, it was contemplated that use should be made of the machinery of selected national organisations, e.g. the Central Council of Recreative Physical Training, the National Playing Fields Association, and the National Council of Social Service, for certain specified purposes. The Grants Committee were empowered to recommend financial assistance to such national organisations for the purposes mentioned. Discussions have already taken place with these organisations in order to ascertain what financial assistance they require to—
- (a) meet any additional administrative and office expenses;
- (b) appoint additional Organisers and Field Officers;
- (c) provide expert advice and, in the case of the Central Council of Recreative Physical Training, promote and aid courses of training for Instructors and Leaders.
Grants have already been made for those purposes to the Central Council of Recreative Physical Training and the question of similar grants to the other bodies is being considered.
As regards financial assistance to existing voluntary organisations to enable them to provide new facilities or extend existing ones, it is provided in the White Paper and the Bill that such grants are 728W to be made, not to central voluntary organisations, but on a local basis. Until the Bill becomes law, no money can be distributed for this purpose but considerable progress has been made with setting up the local Area Committees, whose duty it will be to review the existing facilities in the area and receive applications for assistance from Local Authorities and local voluntary organisations.