A new national plan is needed to tackle inactivity

The Committee on a National Plan for Sport and Recreation has called for the government to establish a national plan for sport, health and well-being.

The Lords Select Committee stresses that failings in sport and recreation policy and fragmented delivery have resulted in little progress being made in tackling levels of inactivity, particularly in certain groups including women and girls, disabled people, ethnic minorities, the elderly and people from less affluent backgrounds. A national plan for sport, health and well-being is now necessary to set clear goals and better coordinate departments to deliver real change.

The committee is urging for the government to introduce a new statutory requirement for local authorities to provide and maintain adequate facilities for sport and physical activity. Too often hard-pressed councils have cut sport and leisure facilities to ensure they meet legal requirements in other areas. This new requirement on councils should be matched with adequate financial support from the Treasury.

Furthermore, it urges for PE to become a core national curriculum subject in schools. The committee found that PE is not valued highly enough in schools with inadequate teacher training time focused on PE and physical literacy, particularly for primary school teachers. The committee were shocked to hear that many primary school teachers receive only a few hours’ training focused on PE during their teacher training courses.

Lord Willis of Knaresborough, chair of the committee, said: “Sport and physical activity can change lives. The pandemic has made abundantly clear the pressing need to get the country fitter and more active. However, participation in sport and recreation is flat lining. The Olympic legacy did not deliver the more active population we were promised, and the latest figures show activity levels have declined since the pandemic. Something needs to change and now is the time to do it.

“To make the changes we need it is time for a new national plan for sport, health and wellbeing. That plan needs to be ambitious and coordinated, and carry the weight of the Government and Prime Minster behind it. That cannot be delivered if it is led by DCMS, a small department with an increasing focus on its digital portfolio. That is why we are calling for responsibility for sport policy to move to the Department of Health and be driven by a new Minster for Sport, Health and Wellbeing.

“The new plan would coordinate efforts of bodies such as Sport England, local authorities and schools to work together to make it easier for everyone to be more active. Our report sets out a number of key priorities and themes that could form the basis of the new national plan and make a real difference to activity levels across the country. There is currently a Health and Care Bill making its way through the House of Lords. Members of our Committee will now explore where we can propose suitable amendments to that Bill to deliver the changes we think are needed on this vital issue.”

Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the Local Government Association’s Culture Tourism and Sport Board, said:“The LGA is pleased to see that this report acknowledges the need for a radical shift in thinking and delivery at national level to better reflect the contribution sport and recreation makes to wider policy objectives. In addition to their vital role in supporting the health of the nation, increasing activity levels and tackling inequalities.

“We fully support the report’s recommendations to introduce a long-term, cross-government national plan to integrate sport and recreation services into health systems and to invest in sport and recreation at grassroots and community level. With inactivity levels rising and statistics showing disparities in physical literacy across the country, the current delivery and funding streams are fractured and ineffective to tackle inequalities. It’s vital that we embrace new ways of working and ensure communities have the same levels of access to achieve healthier lifestyles.

“We agree that a new, dedicated Minister for Sport, Health and Wellbeing leading this work would have an enormously beneficial impact on the health and well-being of residents in this country while reducing the burden on over-stretched NHS and public health resources. As place-shapers, local authorities are at the forefront of this delivery and stand ready to support the development and implementation of this plan.”