(Strangford) (DUP):...I make a plug for children to
take action early against physical and health conditions. In
Northern Ireland, 20% of children are classed as overweight and
6% are classed as obese, and I understand that those figures are
reflected on the mainland. The need to change our way of doing
things is very clear. Targeted funding for children in schools,
which has fallen by the wayside as a result of covid, must be
re-established, as I think the hon. Gentleman will agree. The
importance of Daily
Mile walks must be promoted in every region of the
UK. Start it early—and at a later stage, Madam Deputy Speaker,
you will not have to run to the toilet...
(South West Bedfordshire)
(Con): The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right about
the Daily
Mile I thank him for championing it in Northern
Ireland. It will absolutely make a difference; I hope he will
encourage all schools in Northern Ireland to take part.
...I mentioned earlier that only between a quarter and a third of
UK schoolchildren were undertaking the recommended amount of
physical activity. I am a huge fan of the Daily
Mile initiative, which the hon. Member for
Strangford () referred to, where children run or walk a mile at
the start of each day. There are 7,289 schools in England and
1,191 in Scotland doing this, which is commendable. I would like
to see that number grow substantially, including in Wales and
Northern Ireland.
There is another country in Europe, however, that is doing even
better. The global report card shows that of the 49 countries
covered, Slovenia has the best results for activity levels in
children, with more than 80% of those aged six to 19 meeting the
one-hour-a-day threshold for activity. Frankly, that puts the
United Kingdom to shame, notwithstanding the
tremendous Daily
Mile initiative. Again, this did not happen by
chance. It was a conscious decision that equipped every school
with two gyms and an outdoor play area as well as track and field
facilities, and with five sports days per year and another week
off for outdoor activities...
The Minister for Care and Mental Health ():...As my hon. Friend
knows, the Government are supporting primary schools with £320
million a year through the physical education and sport premium.
We have also funded the school games network. This enables
schools, through the school sport and activity action plan, to
deliver a whole-school approach to physical activity, and many of
us have seen the successful Daily
Mile programme in our schools on our Friday
constituency visits...
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