HC Deb 04 December 2003 vol 415 cc166-7W
Mr. Gardiner

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how much per head of population has been spent by the Government on promoting and facilitating sport and physical activity in(a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003; [140496]

(2) how much per head of population has been spent by her Department on promoting and facilitating sport and physical activity in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c)2003. [140498]

Mr. Caborn

The following table sets out the total government funding directly attributable for sport per capita in England.

Exchequer Population Exchequer
funding totals funding per
(£ million) (million) capita (£)
2000–01 39.8 49.1 0.81
2001–02 47.7 49.3 0.97
2002–03 103.5 49.5 2.09

The Department for Culture Media and Sport's funding for sport and physical activity in 2000–01 was £39.8 million, in 2001–02 was £47.7 million and in 2002–03 was £103.5 million. These figures do not reflect the grant in aid funding which the Department provides to UK Sport.

The Department for Education and Skills investment in specialist sports colleges for 2000–01 was £9.5 million, in 2001–02 was £14.6 million and on 2002–03 was £23.4 million. However this funding is for the provision of sport and also contributes to raising standards across the curriculum.

The information for the Department of Health is not available. The amount spent by Primary Care Trusts on the promotion of physical activity from the devolved Department of Health budgets is not known centrally.

Sport also receives significant funding from Central Government mainly through local government block grant, as noted in "Game Plan: a strategy for delivering the Government's sport and physical activity objectives", a joint Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Strategy Unit Report published in December 2002, page 33. This spending is not centrally recorded on a consistent basis, but "Game Plan" suggested that in 1999–2000 £1,015 million was spent on sport and physical activity by local government as part of their block grant.