Oral Answers to Questions

Gareth Thomas Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ian Murray]

It is clear that the UK and Greece do indeed have a strong bilateral relationship built on our shared history and values. We greatly value the friendship that exists between our people and our Governments. It is for the British Museum to seek to reach an agreement with the Greek Government on the loan of the sculptures, as the British Museum is operationally independent from Government, as he knows with his long track record on this. But if they do reach an agreement, the Government would not stand in the way of such a loan.

[Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)]

9. What steps she plans to take to ensure that people are adequately supported to maintain an active lifestyle at each stage of life.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Government are committed to ensuring that people of all ages have the opportunity to maintain an active lifestyle. Sport England invests over £250 million of lottery and Exchequer funding annually into grassroots sport to support people of all ages. That includes multiple campaigns designed to encourage active lifestyles.

[Gareth Thomas]

The clearly remarkable Fay Bond took up athletics at the age of 90 and won three gold medals last year at the US senior Olympics at the age of 101—the oldest of over 12,400 older athletes who took part. Given the many benefits of an active lifestyle in later life, when might the first UK senior Olympics take place?