Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the campaign being run in schools by ITV and INEOS to promote the Daily Mile required the approval of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The campaign by ITV and INEOS did not require the approval of the Department for Education. It is up to schools to decide what activities to offer to their pupils, and for private companies to decide the contents of the campaigns they run.

The department supports the adoption of programmes that increase physical activity amongst pupils. Regular physical activity has been linked not only to improved physical health but also to improved mental wellbeing and academic attainment. Programmes such as the Daily Mile are simple, inclusive and can successfully engage the least active children in physical activity, helping them to achieve the 60 active minutes each day recommended by the UK chief medical officers.