§ Mrs. GordonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for fostering excellence in sport; and if he will make a statement. [21586]
§ Mr. Chris SmithI have today announced that Sheffield will be the headquarters of the New United Kingdom Sport Institute (UKSI).
The joint decision taken by Ministers and the United Kingdom Sports Council (UKSC) is an historic moment for sport. I believe it will provide our very best sporting talent with the facilities and backup to help them challenge and beat the rest of the world. Sheffield will be the heart of a network—setting the standards and giving leadership to the nationwide network of facilities.
We have decided to locate the headquarters site at Sheffield because the bid: offered an extremely cohesive site with good transport and infrastructure; had responded particularly well to the vision and strategy set out by the Government and UKSC on the framework for the network; and builds on the existing public investment in sports facilities in Sheffield.