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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to encourage sports clubs to have disability teams.

The importance of increasing participation in sport and physical activity by underrepresented groups was highlighted in the government’s sport strategy 'Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation', published in December 2015.

Sport England is investing £1.6m from 2017 - 2020 into the seven National Disability Sports Organisations (NDSOs) who represent specific impairment groups. Part of their work is to promote opportunities to their members, and to provide advice to clubs and coaches to enable more disabled people to participate in sport. Sport England also invests in International Mixed Ability Sports (IMAS), an inclusion model based on disabled and non-disabled people taking part in sport together, and embedding these teams into existing club structures. It has invested approximately £162,000 into IMAS to expand the delivery of their mixed ability model into seven new sports, and reach over 900 disabled and non-disabled players over the 2 years of this investment.

Sport England also supports clubs to promote disability sport through its free Club Matters resource. It includes insight about different impairments and health conditions, and practical advice about making clubs accessible and inclusive for disabled people. The Activity Alliance (formerly known as EFDS) are currently working with Sport England to update the resources available to clubs through Club Matters.