Sports Programmes: Department of Health (Hansard, 29 March 2004)

§ Lord Warner

Opportunities for sports organisations to work in partnership with the Department of Health and its sponsored bodies, including the National Health Service, to promote social inclusion and health exist at both a national and a local level.

A cross-government activity co-ordination team (ACT), led jointly by my honourable friends the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Public Health and the Minister for Sport, is developing a national strategy to increase participation in physical activity and sport. Sport England is leading the important contribution of sport to this work.

At a local level, the Department of Health, Sport England and the Countryside Agency are jointly funding 10 local exercise action pilots based in neighbourhood renewal areas. These are already working with sports organisations, including sports action zones and local sports partnerships. Sports organisations are also able to make a valuable contribution to exercise referral schemes, through local partnerships between the NHS, local authorities and local sports and leisure providers.

The National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) administered by the Health Department Agency aims to encourage a whole school approach to physical activity, among other issues. At local level schools can access a web of support through their local programme, for example local education authority PE advisers, TopSport co-ordinators, School Sport coordinators and local clubs. Most programmes will recognise Sport England's Active Mark and Sport Mark as proxy indicators of achievement of the physical activity theme. Nationally the NHS links with a number of sports bodies to ensure strategic planning and activity.

Another cross-government programme, Positive Futures is supported by a number of government departments and agencies including the Home Office, Department of Health, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Connexions (Department for Education and Skills), Sport England, Youth Justice Board and the Football Foundation. Positive Futures is a national sport and activity-based programme for young people which addresses the multiple issues associated with problematic substance misuse. The programme is managed through local partnerships that appoint lead agencies to deliver sports, educational and drug awareness programmes. These lead agencies can include sports organisations.