§ Vernon CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her plans to develop grassroots sports in the east midlands. [17058]
§ Mr. CabornThe Government are committed to the development of sport and increasing opportunities for participation throughout the country. The strategy for sport—"A Sporting Future for All"—and the Government's plan for sport set out an action plan on how we intend to achieve those objectives. Responsibility for developing grassroots sport at the regional level rests with a number of organisations including Sport England, local authorities, local education authorities, schools, sports governing bodies, sports clubs, volunteers, and in order to ensure the best use of resources it is essential that all these interests work in partnership.
In the east midlands, the regional sports board is providing leadership and direction to this work and in close co-operation with Sport England has engaged the main partners in developing the Region's sporting infrastructure and planning for the future.
All of the programmes for providing better sports facilities and improving sports provision are being implemented in the region including lottery funding, where over £100 million has been committed to the region, the school sport co-ordinators programme and specialist sports colleges while the spaces for sport and arts, NOF round three and NOF green spaces programmes will all be injecting significant new resources into facilities which will be available to schools and the wider community.
For the future I have made it clear that I wish to see strengthened regional structures for the delivery of sport in the regions which involves local decision making and strong partnerships with all the key local interests. I will be discussing these issues with the Sport England Council and its new chief executive when he is in post.