Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 1
4th Report - Game On: Community and school sport
Published 20 Apr 2026
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Game On: Community and school sport All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The evidence shows that funding community sport and physical activity is an investment with high returns, including savings on healthcare costs, productivity gains, and wider wellbeing benefits. The consequences of under‑investment are costly. Ageing infrastructure, higher operating costs, and reduced access lead to facility closures, lost participation, and increased pressure on health and social care budgets. While the Government’s £400 million will help, further action is needed if we are to keep pace with other European countries. (Conclusion, Paragraph 11)
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, 4th Report - Game On: Community and school sport (HC 593), 20 April 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 26 June 2026 (deadline 23 June 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and sets out funding and policy measures on school and community sport, while declining a statutory duty on local authorities and not making PE a core subject.
- On school sport, the government says it is investing over £1 billion over three years, including £580 million for a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, which it says will be "fully up and running from Spring 2027".
- On a statutory duty for local authorities to provide sport and leisure facilities, it "does not believe a statutory duty is necessary", citing its aim to reduce burdens on local government.
- On making PE a core national curriculum subject, it prefers curriculum reform and targeted support, an approach it says is "expected to deliver more meaningful impact without the complexity of legislative change".
- On a cross-government strategy, it points to its National Plan for Physical Activity, "due to be published later this year", and says it will set "clear, measurable objectives".