Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle physical inactivity among children through sport.

Government’s Sporting Future strategy, published in December 2015, set out out how important it is for all children to have a good experience of sport and physical activity while they are young.

Sport England supports children and young people in England by ensuring there is a good sports and activity offer before and after the school day. Sport England has committed up to £194 million of investment into children and young people over the next four years, which includes the Families Fund: up to £40 million invested in projects that offer new opportunities for families with children to be active together. Sport England will also provide specialist training to at least two teachers in every secondary school in England by 2020, and will invest £28m into Satellite Clubs between 2017-2021. Sport England is also investing £3m through the Potentials Fund, which will look at ways to get young people involved in social action and volunteering using sport and physical activity.

Government continues to invest in the School Games (around £17.5m per year) so that all children and young people have the best opportunities to engage in competitive sport. DCMS also works closely with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care on cross-government issues such as school sport and the Childhood Obesity Plan.