Recommendation 14

We received written evidence from the Local Government Association which highlighted concerns that the cost-of-living crisis will adversely affect the participation rates of more deprived communities and rural communities.22 Written evidence we received from the Lawn Tennis Association also told us that 27% of UK adults are cutting back on physical activity and sport due to escalating costs.23 We therefore asked the Department and Sport England if it had a strategy to deal with these developments. Sport England told us it was monitoring this, with recent surveys showing that deteriorating personal finances are making people anxious about their ability to be active. It did not point to any modelling of the potential impact on the use of leisure facilities, but said the most common form of response had been to adapt activity rather than reduce it, such as switching to a lower cost gym provider. Sport England said it had levers it could apply, such as highlighting free and low-cost opportunities to be active, but it viewed the limitations on people’s ability to exercise were not as severe as during the COVID-19 pandemic.24 18 Qq 23, 63, 64–65 19 C&AG’s report, para 15 20 Qq 23, 24, 27, 65 21 Qq 23, 26–28, 37 22 GPA0003, Local Government Association, Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity, 1 November 2022 23 GPA0017, Lawn Tennis Association, Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity, 1 November 2022 24 Q 29 Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity 13 2 Addressing barriers to participation