27 May 2010
The government has failed to meet targets to increase the participation in sports of ‘priority groups’ despite over half a billion pounds worth of initiatives, the National Audit Office has found.
In a report published today, the NAO says that Sport England spent £660m on a range of programmes to promote physical
activity between 2005 and 2008. But it did not meet targets for 3%
participation of women, black and ethnic minorities, disabled people and those
from lower socio-economic groups.
The numbers participating in sports once a month decreased in all but the latter group, while numbers taking part in moderate intensity sport for at least 30 minutes three times a week increased only by 0.1%, 1.8%, 0.2% and 1.3% respectively.
The NAO concludes that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport ‘lacked adequate oversight’ of Sport England, which itself ‘lacked focus’ on the priority groups targets, and the public investment did not represent good value for money.
The DCMS has since set a new strategy, judged better value for money by the NAO and in line with the 2012 Olympics sports legacy. This includes a target for March 2013 of increasing by 1 million the number of people aged 16 or over doing three 30-minute sessions of moderate intensity sport a week. But one year into the strategy, there has only been an increase of 115,000 people, against a forecast of 160,000.
A spokesman for Sport England welcomed recognition by the NAO that it has ‘undergone significant positive changes’ since last year. The body has committed £480m of funding for the new strategy, three-quarters of which is to be spent on sustaining and increasing participation.
The NAO report came as the DCMS was asked to make £88m of in-year savings by Chancellor George Osborne. Some £27m of these will come from the Olympics budget. All other bodies overseen by the department will need to make saving of 3%, which equates to £4.25m for Sport England.
The quango’s chief executive, Jennie Price, said the savings would be achieved through back-office and administration reductions and the £480m pot would be protected.
But Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, added: ‘There remain risks to Sport England achieving the 1 million target. The department and Sport England also need to do more to demonstrate the value for money of its distribution of funds between different sports.’
