Sporting Future and Anti-Doping

Tuesday 30th January 2018 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Tracey Crouch)]

I am today publishing the second annual report on the Government’s sport strategy “Sporting Future: a New Strategy for an Active Nation”, together with the “Tailored Review of UK Anti-Doping”.

Second annual report to Parliament on Sporting Future

Sporting Future set out a new Government vision to redefine what success looks like in sport by concentrating on five key outcomes—physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, individual development, social and community development and economic development. It was a bold new strategy for an active nation. It marked the biggest shift in Government policy on sport for more than a decade.

We have continued to build on the significant progress achieved in the first year of the strategy and have continued to embed, and invest in sport and physical activity on the basis of, the five outcomes. On mental wellbeing, for example, we are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to explore how elite and professional sport can improve its offer of mental health support. We are also building on Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s duty of care report to ensure that sport takes its responsibilities to all participants seriously, whether that be elite athletes or those at the grassroots.

Investment in sport and physical activity continues to be focused on the five key outcomes. Funding has been opened up to organisations which can demonstrate how they will consistently deliver some or all of those shared goals, with a strong emphasis on tackling inactivity and engaging underrepresented groups.

We want to make sure absolutely everyone can benefit from the power of sport and I am grateful to all those across Government and the sport and physical activity sector who are working to make the ambition of Sporting Future a reality. The annual report is being deposited in the Library of both Houses and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sporting-future-second-annual-report

Report on the “Tailored Review of UK Anti-Doping”

Today I am also publishing the “Tailored Review of UK Anti-Doping”.

We want to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of efforts to stop those who would wish to damage the integrity of sport through doping. This tailored review examines UKAD’s efficiency, effectiveness, governance and planning for the future.

The recommendations it makes will ensure that we are in the best place possible to continue efforts to stop drugs cheats and to continue to support athletes to compete on a level playing field.

We must continue to do all we can to support these efforts and I am grateful to all who were involved in, and contributed to, the review. The tailored review is being deposited in the Library of both Houses and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/tailored-review-of-uk-anti-doping

[HCWS432]