§ Mr. ViggersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what priority is given to sport in the armed forces; and what resources are committed to its promotion. [17558]
§ Mr. SoamesAll three services strongly encourage their personnel to participate in sport; it is widely recognised that sport encourages physical fitness and contributes to military effectiveness by developing personal qualities such as courage, resilience, stamina, co-ordination, and team spirit. Sport is also enjoyable and it therefore makes a significant contribution to morale and esprit de corps, and is an important retention and recruitment factor.
Resources for sport within the armed forces derive from various sources, including both public and non-public funding, and assistance from some of the major sporting associations; it is not, therefore, possible to quantify the resources, in terms of funding or manpower, devoted to the promotion of sport within the service environment.