Public Bodies Reform

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and David Cairns

Thursday 14th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

I have been invited to go down that path before, and I am a cautious fellow so I shall resist the temptation to do so. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his endorsement of the approach that Sir Philip Green has taken in helping the Government pick up a number of stones to find out exactly what is crawling around underneath.

[David Cairns (Inverclyde) (Lab)]

The Minister is proposing to merge UK Sport and Sport England, which do quite distinct jobs—there is a clue in their titles. From his existential ruminations, will he tell me how he proposes to guarantee that elite athletes in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are getting magnificent support from UK Sport in the run-up to the Olympic games, are not disadvantaged by what is effectively a takeover by Sport England, which understandably has a quite different focus?

[Mr Maude]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport will no doubt be able to answer the hon. Gentleman’s regular questions about how that will work.

[David Cairns]

You merged them.