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Last updated: 08 December 2009
New Government report sets out to combat the couch potato culture and improve our international sporting performance (18/12/2002) A new Government report aims to improve the nation's health by combating the 'couch potato' culture and to produce more success in the international sporting arena.
The report - called Game Plan - is published today jointly by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It urges a shake-up of England's sporting structures to:
It says that we need to rival Australia's approach to achieving elite success and learn from Finland's record in encouraging mass participation. Only 46% of Britons currently take part in fitness activities compared to almost 80% in Finland.
The report also proposes new ways for the Government to deal with the biggest sporting events, by building expertise to ensure that they are properly planned, organised, and evaluated.
It highlights health benefits as the clearest advantage of encouraging greater involvement in sport and other physical activities. It says that increasing adult activity by only 10% would save around 6,000 lives a year in England alone - and cut £500 million a year from NHS costs. While just 30 minutes of moderate activity five times a week can people help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, strokes and obesity.
Welcoming the report, Prime Minister, Tony Blair said:
'There are millions of people in this country who are passionate about sport, I am one of them, both as a player and as a fan. But the value of sport goes beyond personal enjoyment and fulfilment. Sport is a powerful and often under-used tool that can help Government to achieve a number of ambitious goals. We have to ensure that we are well equipped to do that.
'The future is bright. Over £2 billion of money from Government and the Lottery will be going into sport over the next three years. This is more than ever before. This report is a thorough analysis of where we are now and an essential route map to get us to where we want to be in the future.'
Secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell, said:
'The whole Government - from the Prime Minister and the Chancellor down - is aware of the value of sport. This report has given us a blueprint for improving the way we organise our sport. Those of us who will work to carry that out must take our responsibilities seriously. But we should always remember that sport should be fun.'
The report says that introducing people to a wide range of sports and activities early on encourages them to stay 'sports literate' for life. It calls for better evaluation of pilot schemes to identify best ways of encouraging people to take more exercise. Local councils should be set targets to achieve health benefits through sport and other activities.
It says resources need to be targeted on children and young people, women, and older people, in particular those who live in economically-disadvantaged areas, to encourage participation.
It also calls for a new central database of sports facilities to help plan where new investment may be needed, and to monitor use and participation levels.
The report says a better talent development pathway from grassroots to high performance sport is needed, using sport-specific plans that stop children specialising too early or over- competing. It wants sporting structures to be simplified so that more money gets to athletes and coaches through a one-stop-plan approach to funding, instead of being lost in administration costs.
The report urges more modernisation of sport across the board; simplification of which sports are funded at a UK and which at a devolved level; better co-operation and co-ordination between the Sports Councils; a switch to customer-led funding for the English Institute of Sport; and a review of UK Sports Institute central services.
One of the report's key recommendations is for tighter funding agreements between Government and the Sports Councils. It says that decisions on handing over taxpayer's money should be based on results achieved in raising participation and elite level success, rather than on the programmes they are planning to run.
There should also be more business expertise on the boards of Sport England and UK Sport to help ensure more customer- focus.
The Government should enhance the role of sport within DCMS by appointing a Director of Sport. It should also create a new team to ensure better co-ordination between Departments and greater use of joint targets, particularly between DCMS and Department of Health.
The report says there needs to be a re-think on Britain's approach to bidding for 'mega' events.
It says that the prime reason to host major events is for the 'feelgood' factor and national pride that they bring. The report calls for a 20-year plan for targeting 'mega' events with a set process for government involvement, including a clear assessment of the benefits and the likelihood of winning the bid. Government should also establish a Centre of Expertise in DCMS for major events (sporting and other cultural events) and projects.
The report praises Manchester's approach to planning the Commonwealth Games. It says that the organisers developed facilities with the future long-term use in mind to ensure sustainable and affordable infrastructure that would benefit the area.
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