Oral Answers to Questions

Anna Dixon Excerpts

Thursday 3rd April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)]

13. What steps she is taking to support grassroots sports venues.

[Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)]

15. What steps is she taking to allocate funding to local grassroots sports facilities in the north of England.

[Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)]

16. What steps is she taking to support grassroots sports venues.

--- Later in debate ---

[Stephanie Peacock]

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. I attended the launch of the women’s innovation hub at Loughborough University a few weeks ago, and I convened the women in sport taskforce, along with Karen Carney. We are clear that we want to support women’s sport at every level.

[Anna Dixon]

My constituency of Shipley is not short of sporting talent. Baildon Fisical Sports Coaching Academy’s under-eights team has just won the national junior premier league final for the second consecutive season. I pay tribute to the Bumble Bees Barbarians, the first mixed-ability contact rugby union team in England, which plays at the Bradford and Bingley sports club. Following the Government’s welcome announcement of a £100 million investment in grassroots sports, will the Minister assure me that inclusive grassroots sport will receive funding to continue that great work?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I congratulate the teams that my hon. Friend mentions. Grassroots clubs do such an important job in nurturing sporting talent. Brilliant sports groups across the country will receive funding for facilities. We will be targeting the most deprived areas, supporting under-represented groups and providing the multi-sport benefit through the Football Foundation, which will deliver that through its local football facilities plans, which are being refreshed to reflect changes including the growth in the women’s game and need in other sports.