§ Mr. GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to ensure that all school children have access to a swimming pool on a weekly basis. [3485]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 12 July 2001]: Swimming is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for Physical Education at Key Stage 2, unless pupils have met the full Key Stage 2 requirements during Key Stage 1. After Key Stage 2 it remains one of six areas of physical activity. The Ofsted report on swimming at Key Stage 2, published in November 2000, showed that well over four out of five schools inspected provided adequate time for swimming and four out of five children are able to swim 25m at the end of Key Stage 2. We acknowledge, however, that we need to work more with schools to make even more opportunities available for more children to be able to swim 25m by the time they reach secondary school.
Swimming and water safety are important life skills. We are investing heavily in school sport and swimming will benefit. The Government's commitment includes £581 million in England (out of a total of £750 million in the UK) from the New Opportunities Fund for school sport facilities.
We have established a Swimming Advisory Group, involving, as well as my Department, representatives of the swimming associations, Ofsted, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to discuss what more can be done to create even more opportunities for children to swim and announce proposals by the end of the year.