Tom Watson, Labour’s Shadow Digital, Culture, Media and
Sport Secretary, commenting on the Conservatives' grassroots
football announcement, said: “This Tory pledge won’t undo the
years of damage done to grassroots sports facilities by a decade of
austerity. “We’ve lost over 800 pitches as well as hundreds more
swimming pools, sports halls and tennis courts. “A last minute
election pledge can’t make up...Request free trial
, Labour’s Shadow Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, commenting on the
Conservatives' grassroots football announcement,
said:
“This Tory pledge won’t undo the years of damage done to
grassroots sports facilities by a decade of austerity.
“We’ve lost over 800 pitches as well as hundreds more swimming
pools, sports halls and tennis courts.
“A last minute election pledge can’t make up for years of
brutal cuts.”
Ends
Notes to editors
-
Labour is already committed to ensuring that the
Premier League invest 5 per cent of its television rights
income into the grassroots game to help the next generation
of players and coaches and to improve facilities and
pitches.
-
Since 2017, Labour has called for a Fan’s Fare scheme
to protect travelling fans when their fixtures are changed
for broadcasters.
-
A Labour government will legislate for accredited
football supporters’ trusts to be able to appoint and remove
at least two club directors and purchase shares when clubs
change hands.
-
We will also regulate for safe standing in football
stadiums.
-
Councils have seen a cut of £7.3bn this
decade as a result of the Tories’ austerity programme
Spending power: Labour party analysis based on House of
Commons library research of local authority spending power
2010/11 and DCLG, core spending power, 29 January
2019, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2019-to-2020
-
According to the cross party Local Government
Association, between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost 60p
out of every £1 they had from central government to run local
services.
The LGA estimates that councils in England face an overall
funding gap of £3.1 billion in 2020/21, with this number expected
to rise to £8 billion by 2025.
LGA, 2 July
2019, https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/one-three-councils-fear-funding-legal-duties-will-run-out-within-three-years
-
Adjusted for inflation in 2010/11 a total of over £1
billion was spent on sports and recreation by councils in
England.
|
Figures in thousands
|
Spending on Employees
|
Running Expenses
|
Total Expenditure
|
Sales, Fees and Charges
|
Other Income
|
Total Income
|
Net Current Expenditure
|
|
Community centres and public halls
|
39,197
|
82,114
|
121,309
|
25,235
|
17,629
|
42,865
|
78,444
|
|
Foreshore
|
9,078
|
22,590
|
31,668
|
18,675
|
3,781
|
22,457
|
9,211
|
|
Sports development and community
recreation
|
166,909
|
310,153
|
477,062
|
65,029
|
101,646
|
166,675
|
310,386
|
|
Sports and recreation facilities, including golf
courses
|
449,787
|
777,777
|
1,227,565
|
463,002
|
121,681
|
584,683
|
642,878
|
|
total
|
664,971
|
1,192,634
|
1,857,603
|
571,942
|
244,737
|
816,680
|
1,040,919
|
MHCLG, 5 December
2012, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2010-to-2011-individual-local-authority-data--5
-
In 2017/18 a total of just under £400 million was spent
on sports and recreation by councils in England.
|
Figures in thousands
|
Spending on Employees
|
Running Expenses
|
Total Expenditure
|
Sales, Fees and Charges
|
Other Income
|
Total Income
|
Net Current Expenditure
|
|
Community centres and public halls
|
20,868
|
47,587
|
68,455
|
17,949
|
8,867
|
26,815
|
41,639
|
|
Foreshore
|
8,176
|
23,466
|
31,642
|
20,052
|
8,802
|
28,854
|
2,788
|
|
Sports development and community
recreation
|
59,195
|
93,478
|
152,673
|
19,772
|
40,243
|
60,015
|
92,658
|
|
Sports and recreation facilities, including
golf courses
|
231,751
|
425,386
|
657,136
|
324,323
|
89,117
|
413,440
|
243,697
|
|
total
|
319,990
|
589,916
|
909,906
|
382,096
|
147,028
|
529,124
|
380,782
|
MHCLG, 21 March
2019, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/787870/RO5_2017-18_data_by_LA_-_revised.xlsx
-
This means that there has been a drop of over £660m in
council spending on sports over between 2010 and 2018. This is
a cut of 63%
There has been nearly £950m pound drop in total expenditure on
sport excluding income for councils from sport. This is a
cut of 51%
|
Figures in thousands
|
Spending on Employees drop between
10/11-17/18
|
Running Expenses drop between
10/11-17/18
|
Total Expenditure drop between
10/11-17/18
|
Sales, Fees and Charges drop between
10/11-17/18
|
Other Income drop between 10/11-17/18
|
Total Income drop between 10/11-17/18
|
Net Current Expenditure drop between
10/11-17/18
|
|
Community centres and public halls
|
-18,329
|
-34,527
|
-52,854
|
-7,286
|
-8,762
|
-16,050
|
-36,805
|
|
Foreshore
|
-902
|
876
|
-26
|
1,377
|
5,021
|
6,397
|
-6,423
|
|
Sports development and community
recreation
|
-107,714
|
-216,675
|
-324,389
|
-45,257
|
-61,403
|
-106,660
|
-217,728
|
|
Sports and recreation facilities, including
golf courses
|
-218,036
|
-352,391
|
-570,429
|
-138,679
|
-32,564
|
-171,243
|
-399,181
|
|
total
|
-344,981
|
-602,718
|
-947,698
|
-189,845
|
-97,709
|
-287,556
|
-660,137
|
Labour analysis of the drop in spending by councils
between 2010/11 and 2017/18
-
Between 2010 and 2018 the percentage of 11-15
participating in weekly sport dropped from 88% to 81.9%. For
5-10 it dropped from 77.8% to 73.9%.
Taking part survey, p2,
gov.uk, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/736939/Taking_Part_Child_Annual_Report.pdf
-
32.9% of children and young people, equivalent to 2.3
million, do less than an average of 30 minutes of activity a
day.
56.8% of children do an average of less than an hour’s sport
every day.
Sport England, p4, December
2018, https://www.sportengland.org/media/13698/active-lives-children-survey-academic-year-17-18.pdf
-
Children from low income families are far more likely to
be inactive (39%) than those from high income families
(26%)
Sport England, p7, December
2018, https://www.sportengland.org/media/13698/active-lives-children-survey-academic-year-17-18.pdf
|
