Oral Answers to Questions

Stephanie Peacock Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mary Kelly Foy]

I thought I would sit where the Chamber looks really packed. [Laughter.]

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

The Government understand the importance of high-quality grassroots sports facilities in helping people to be active, which is why we are committing £400 million to improving facilities over the next four years. We are investing £98 million this year through the multi-sport grassroots facilities programme, which includes removing barriers to participation for women and girls, people with disabilities and those from ethnic minority communities.

[Mary Kelly Foy]

Durham United football club kicked off this season in the northern league. It is the first time in decades that the city has had a men’s team playing at this level, yet they do not have a permanent ground. At the same time, local authorities are finding it harder and harder to maintain their playing pitch stock to a reasonable standard, meaning that high-quality pitches are harder to access despite more football being played than ever. What can the Minister do to encourage local authorities to transfer these assets into the hands of well-established grassroots clubs, such as Durham United, to give them security and access to larger grants, thereby improving the maintenance of these vital community assets?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important point. Sport England invests over £250 million of Exchequer and lottery funding each year, and offers guidance and support to grassroots clubs looking to take control of their local sports pitches through its community asset transfer toolkit, which it is currently updating. I would be very happy to set up a meeting for my hon. Friend with Sport England, which can offer further advice if that is helpful.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

I recently met Abbas and Templecombe parish councillors to discuss their exciting plans to add a 400-metre running track, a multi-use games area and an outdoor adult gym to the local recreation ground. Given that physical inactivity costs the UK over £7 billion a year, such improvements are welcome, particularly in rural areas. However, despite securing some of the funding, the parish council is struggling to find the additional funds it needs to get the project off the ground. What steps is the Minister taking to help rural, parish and town councils improve their sports and leisure facilities?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The hon. Lady is a strong advocate for her constituency, and she makes a very important argument. As I have outlined, the Government are investing £400 million in grassroots facilities. We are also working with the sports sector and local leaders to understand the demands of each community, and I would be happy to discuss that further with her.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Mr Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) (Con)]

This Labour Government have announced that they intend to remove Sport England—alongside the Gardens Trust and the Theatres Trust—as a statutory consultee in planning decisions, putting playing fields across the country at risk. The Conservatives oppose this move. Can the Minister explain how first scrapping the £57 million opening school facilities fund and now allowing developers to concrete over playing fields will increase access to sports facilities?

[Stephanie Peacock]

As I outlined, this Government are putting their money where their mouth is. We have announced £400 million investment in grassroots sport. I have discussed this issue with the Planning Minister and I have heard the points he has made.

[Mr French]

Not much of an answer there, but hopefully another U-turn will be coming soon. Over the previous Parliament, the Conservative Government invested more than £1 billion in grassroots and school sports. On this side of the House, we are also absolutely clear that girls’ and women’s sports must be protected to ensure fairness, competition and safety. Will the Sport Minister confirm today what action she is taking to ensure the Supreme Court’s ruling on biological sex is applied in leisure and sports facilities across the UK?

[Stephanie Peacock]

We are working with sporting bodies to make sure they get this right.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

8. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help improve outcomes for young people.

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[Will Stone (Swindon North) (Lab)]

14. What steps her Department is taking to improve access to youth activities for young people.

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

Our national youth strategy was co-produced with young people and has committed to investing over £500 million to ensure young people have somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. Access to youth activities is a key part of that.

[Jim Dickson]

In Swanscombe and in much of my constituency, less than 50% of young people are physically active. That is only slightly lower than the national average, which is highly alarming. Under the previous Government, community sports facilities such as Swanscombe Pavilion in my constituency crumbled, with no resources to bring them back to life, reducing the available space for young people to be active. That is why I am particularly pleased to hear about the £400 million, which has been mentioned today, that the Government committed to grassroots sport facilities last June. Will the Minister provide an update on how that vital funding will be allocated, and will she agree to meet me to discuss this further?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The Government recognise that grassroots facilities are at the heart of communities up and down the country, which is why we have committed £400 million to transform grassroots facilities across the UK. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss how we will be rolling that out. We recognise that too many children and young people are less active than they should be, which is why we have campaigns such as “Let’s Move!”, which aims to support children to enjoy being active in sport, play and everyday movement. I was pleased to see one of those sessions in action myself before Christmas.

[Will Stone]

This week I met Paul Skivington from the UK Para jiu-jitsu team. Paul, who lost his leg in a motorbike accident, has been very active in inspiring the country by competing on the world stage of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Paul wants to get more disabled children involved in sports. What are the Government doing to incentivise more young disabled people to take part in sports, especially Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this important point. Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and be physically active. We are committed to tackling persistent inequalities, especially for disabled people, an aim that is reinforced by Uniting the Movement, the 10-year strategy of our arm’s length body, Sport England. It ensures that its programmes directly impact disabled people through partnerships with a range of both disability and martial arts organisations and initiatives such as We Are Undefeatable, a campaign that supports the 15 million people who live with one or more long-term health condition in England to get active. I met Activity Alliance to discuss this issue a few months ago, and would be delighted to discuss it with my hon. Friend.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

Last July, I wrote jointly with other Members to the Government to seek support for Gympanzees to open the UK’s first fully accessible exercise, play and social centre for disabled children and young people. I have had no response. Will the Secretary of State meet me and representatives of the charity to discuss how her Department can support this innovative project?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I will get to the bottom of why the hon. Lady has not had a reply—I apologise for that. I would be delighted to meet her to discuss the matter further.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is important that we improve access to youth activities for young people, particularly because of the rise in their anxiety, depression and mental health—important issues. The rise in suicides among our young people worries me greatly, too, as I know it worries the Minister, and indeed us all. What is the Department doing in conjunction with the Department of Health to address young people’s mental health issues and get them access to support?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. It was a pleasure to meet him yesterday to discuss a different issue. This is exactly why we have launched our national youth strategy—supporting young people with their mental health is an absolutely key part of that. I know how important that is, both as a former teacher and from my constituency.

[Patrick Hurley (Southport) (Lab)]

10. What steps her Department is taking to help support co-operative live music venues.

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[Danny Beales (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Lab)]

T3. Wealdstone FC is a fantastic, fan-led club in my constituency, but it is again facing an uncertain future because of protracted negotiations over the lease of their current ground. Does the Minister agree that it is vital that the landowner engages in good faith with the club, and will she meet me to discuss how we can give the club the stability and security off the pitch that they need to succeed on it?

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

I recognise the vital role that football clubs like Wealdstone FC play in the community. While stadium negotiations are primarily a matter for clubs and local authorities, I understand the importance of securing a future at Grosvenor Vale, and I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss how we can best support the club for the future.

[Edward Morello (West Dorset) (LD)]

Over the last 24 years, 174 grassroots rugby clubs have disappeared. Such clubs are vital and feed our professional teams with talent and fans. While attendance and broadcast figures are improving at the top level, Premiership clubs still owe the Government massive amounts of money in covid loans and carry £340 million in debt. What assessment has the Department made of the long-term financial stability of both grassroots and premiership rugby?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union, which is independent of Government, but the Government monitor the financial situation of rugby union closely. The DCMS continues to work with the RFU and I am happy to discuss that further with the hon. Gentleman.

[Tom Hayes (Bournemouth East) (Lab)]

T5. AFC Bournemouth has just said goodbye to Antoine Semenyo. He has been a superstar on the pitch and a gentleman off it, taking out a full-page ad in the Bournemouth Daily Echo to thank fans for the memories as, sadly, he left for Manchester City. Bournemouth need more players like him, and that means getting kids off their phones and outdoors, which is why I back raising the minimum social media age to 16. It also means supporting play spaces, youth centres and grassroots football facilities for clubs like Boscombe Albion, Kings Park Dynamos, Queens Park Ladies and Generation Elite. What are the Department doing to support our young kids?

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[Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)]

Next year, the Tour de France will return to the UK for the first time since 2014, starting in Edinburgh. The route through northern England has yet to be determined, but does the Minister agree that there could be no finer starting point than my constituency of Carlisle and Cumbria, and will she ensure that the excitement that the tour engenders translates into support for cycling right across our country?

[Stephanie Peacock]

We are all very excited that the Tour de France is coming to this country. I am really excited to be going to Leeds later today for the route announcement, and I am pleased that the Government have invested over £30 million. It is really important that the tournament inspires the next generation.

The hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—