§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the various sport and recreation reports and inquiries initiated by the Minister for Sport and called for since March 1974; and if he will indicate the progress of each one.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe White Paper on Sport and Recretation published last August (Cmnd 6200) outlined the major proposals I have initiated.
Since the White Paper was published I have announced proposals for the formation of a sports aid foundation to raise funds to assist our sportsmen and sportswomen in their preparation and training for international competition. At the same time, my working party on centres of excellence is carrying out a thorough investigation of the provision of practical assistance at educational establishments.
Since the beginning of the current football season the Football Grounds Improvement Trust has been raising funds for disbursement at the trustees' discretion to assist clubs to meet the cost of improvements to football grounds. The problem of football hooliganism is under continuous review by my working party, which has issued detailed recommendations to clubs for both domestic and European matches and has developed with the organisations concerned a number of improvements in arrangements for rail and coach transport.