Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) help build new grassroots football facilities and (b) renovate existing pitches for grassroots football in Colne Valley constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
High-quality, inclusive facilities help clubs to get more people active and by backing these clubs, the Government will support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live.
Colne Valley constituency has benefitted from £40,798 of DCMS investment across five sites under the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities programme to date.
The Government will invest £123 million throughout 2024/25 to build and upgrade pitches and facilities UK wide. Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation.
The Football Foundation plans their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs). These plans have been developed in partnership with local authorities and are in the process of being refreshed to reflect the current landscape. The existing LFFP for Colne Valley, Kirklees can be found by visiting the Football Foundation’s website.
Should a constituent have an enquiry about prospective investment at a specific facility, they can get in touch with the Football Foundation directly via enquiries@footballfoundation.org.uk.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department plans to take to work with (a) community organisations and (b) mental health services to support the creation of networks for men experiencing loneliness.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Chronic loneliness (feeling lonely often or always) can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or background, although some groups, such as young people aged 16-25, are known to be at a higher risk. The government’s current work to tackle loneliness supports organisations working with a diverse range of groups at risk of chronic loneliness to take action. This includes delivering the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, a grant fund designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England.
We also support a range of organisations through the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness, and provide advice on loneliness through the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign’s advice pages.
The government is committed to continuing to tackle loneliness and to support people to connect with others. We will continue to engage with a wide range of organisations, including community organisations and health providers, as part of this work.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle loneliness in men aged (a) 18 to 30, (b) 30 to 60 and (c) over 60.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Chronic loneliness (feeling lonely often or always) can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or background, although some groups, such as young people aged 16-25, are known to be at a higher risk. The government’s current work to tackle loneliness supports organisations working with a diverse range of groups at risk of chronic loneliness to take action. This includes delivering the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, a grant fund designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England.
We also support a range of organisations through the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform for professionals working to reduce loneliness, and provide advice on loneliness through the Better Health: Every Mind Matters campaign’s advice pages.
The government is committed to continuing to tackle loneliness and to support people to connect with others. We will continue to engage with a wide range of organisations, including community organisations and health providers, as part of this work.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps with relevant football bodies to help increase British Asian representation in football (a) on and (b) off the pitch.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We welcome the football industry’s ongoing commitment to provide fair opportunities for all. Since the publication of the independent Fan-Led Review in November 2021, the football leagues and the sport’s national governing body, the Football Association (FA), have introduced enhanced equality requirements for football clubs. It is ultimately for the FA to decide on the specific aims and appropriate initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion in the sport.
The Code for Sports Governance sets out the standards all sporting organisations must meet in return for public funding from either UK Sport or Sport England. Sports organisations at Tier 3 of the Code, which includes the FA, are required to agree a diversity and inclusion action plan (DIAP) with Sport England and/or UK Sport, which will be published and updated annually.
The Government acknowledges that there is still more progress to be made and will continue to work with the leagues, the FA, and other organisations on this.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Football Association on increasing funding for drainage works on grass pitches.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to helping all sports adapt to the impacts of climate change and works closely with the Football Association to improve the drainage facilities for grassroots football pitches. The Football Foundation, funded by the Government, the FA, and the Premier League, provides grants to help grassroots facilities improve pitch drainage and respond to the impacts of heavy rainfall.
Asked by: Paul Davies (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Olympic Games on (a) her policies and (b) grassroots sports in Colne Valley constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Sport is a huge part of our national story. Team GB has won a gold medal at every Summer Olympics since 1896 and the 14 gold medals at the Paris 2024 Games continues this record. Not only is success on the world stage a huge source of national pride, but it also inspires people of all ages to get involved in sport and physical activity.
The Government is committed to a legacy of the Paris Games that is measured not just in medals, but also in ensuring that everyone, everywhere, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. Sport England’s Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.
Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme continues to be invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation. As it has to date, this will continue to deliver high-quality, inclusive grassroots facilities that help more people access sport in Colne Valley.