§ Mr. GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with the Ministers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the desirability of requiring each school to hold an annual sports day. [45106]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no direct discussions with DCMS Ministers specifically about school sports days. The Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport work closely together in order to maximise the benefits of PE and school sport for all pupils. Our White Paper "Schools: achieving success" includes a commitment that all children will be entitled to two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week, within and outside the curriculum. School sports days, of course, have an important role to play as part of an overall package of PE and sport opportunities for all children. One of the key aims of our School Sports Co-ordinators programme is to increase the amount of inter and intra-school competitive sport. Work being undertaken by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority suggests that the vast majority of schools do not hold an annual sports day or a similar event.