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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote access to sports for (a) young people and (b) people with disabilities in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including children and young people and those with disabilities, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.

The Government-funded Inclusion 2024 programme is available to all schools in the country, including South Holland and the Deepings. It provides both expert support and free resources, and can help schools enhance opportunities for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to engage in P.E. and school sports.

We provide the majority of our funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. Since 2020, South Holland and the Deepings has received over £300,000 of Sport England funding to provide opportunities for the local community to get active. This includes funding for the delivery of the School Games programme within the constituency, which provides school children with the opportunity to engage in local and inclusive sporting competitions across 40 different sports and activities, including adapted and accessible formats for children with SEND.

The Culture Secretary recently attended the launch of ParalympicGB’s Equal Play Campaign where she expressed her determination to put sport at the heart of the school curriculum. This includes opening up opportunities for all young people, including those with disabilities, to be able to access sport and physical activity at school.

Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.