Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment the Government has made of the contribution of the work of the Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield to breaking down distinctions between sport and wider physical activity.
Answered by David Evennett
Government is committed to increasing physical activity as set out in our sport strategy, ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’ published late last year. That strategy removed the artificial barriers between sport and wider physical activity, broadening Sport England’s remit to include cycling, dancing and walking. The recently published Sport England strategy, ‘Towards an Active Nation’, sets out their plans to implement this new approach.
I recognise that creating a more active society will require action by a range of bodies working together over a significant period of time. I therefore welcome the work of Legacy Park Ltd in Sheffield in bringing together partners across local government, the health sector, academia, elite and community sport and the private sector. I look forward to seeing their ambitious plans to establish sport facilities for elite and community use and an Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre that would work with the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine to provide health and wellbeing research and learning.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many public libraries have (a) closed and (b) opened in England since May 2010; and how many libraries which were previously run by professionally-qualified staff are now run by volunteers.
Answered by Lord Vaizey of Didcot
While the Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not commission specific information relating to the closure or opening of public libraries, or of libraries run entirely by volunteers, the Department does monitor closely proposed changes to library service provision throughout England. Based on desk research undertaken by the Department, we estimate that from January 2010 to January 2016 approximately 110 static public libraries in England closed and at least 77 new public libraries have opened, including relocations to new buildings.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what research reports his Department has commissioned from external bodies between September 2010 and December 2014 have not been published; when each such report was commissioned; what the nature of the research commissioned for each report was; from whom each such research report was commissioned; what the value of each such commission was; on what date each such report was received by his Department; for what reason each such research report has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish each such report.
Answered by Helen Grant
This table shows research commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between September 2010 and December 2014 which is yet to be published.
Research Title | Nature of Research | External contractor | Value of work |
The Local economic impacts from cultural sector investments | The purpose of this report is to bring together the best evidence of local economic impacts from culture into one report which could inform the department’s evidence base on the value of culture. The purpose was also to aid others in making the case for culture whether it’s local government, ALBs or the culture sector more widely. | ECORYS | £20,303 |
Publication of Child Taking Part Survey: Multivariate analysis of the determinants of child participation in arts, sport, heritage, museums and libraries. | To explore the factors most strongly associated with child participation in arts, sport, heritage, museums and libraries, both in and outside of school. Commissioned by the Culture and Sport Evidence (CASE). | Sheffield Hallam University, Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) | £21,156 |
Outlook and structure of publicly funded organisations in culture, heritage and sports | Programme of research scoping the extent to which local sport and cultural organisations can be surveyed to provide information on their business practices and underlying attitudes towards ensuring resilience during times of difficult economic operating climate. | BOP consulting | £79,575 |
The Department has yet to identify appropriate events or publication opportunities for the 3 named pieces of research.