Olympics and Paralympics (Funding)

Andrew Miller Excerpts

Monday 27th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Hugh Robertson]

Yes, I will do so. That is the simplest answer to the hon. Lady’s question.

[Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)]

Will the Minister give the House a commitment that the legacy will include working outside the London area? He and I have already discussed the fact that the national lottery has designated an iconic site in my constituency for post-Olympic development. Can we ensure that the Government back that up?

[Hugh Robertson]

Of course we can. A number of Members have mentioned the Places People Play legacy scheme, which involves £135 million worth of funding from Sport England precisely to try to regenerate sports facilities that, for various reasons, have fallen out of previous funding rounds. That has been so successful that Sport England plans to bring forward another £100 million worth of funding in the next cycle. Close to £250 million worth of funding is therefore going into the renovation of grass-roots sports facilities, so I am sure that the hon. Gentleman’s scheme will have as good a chance as any other, provided that it meets the criteria.