Lose 'no ball games' signs to get nation moving - MPs

Making PE a core subject in schools and removing unnecessary 'no ball games' signs are among the recommendations in a new report looking at barriers to sport and physical activity in England.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee report highlights "persistent financial pressure, limited facilities, a lack of prioritisation in the school curriculum, and an absence of national co-ordination that prevents the system from operating effectively".

It calls for a cross-government strategy to deliver a healthier nation, and an increase in funding to boost participation in local communities.

The MPs want spending on sport and recreation to go from the current 0.3% of total government expenditure to at least 0.6% over the next 10 years, claiming that "funding for school and community sport is insufficient and increasingly unstable".

They also recommend that PE is granted the same status as English, mathematics and science in schools.

The 'Game On' report, external urges the government to legislate to require local authorities and housing associations to remove unnecessary 'no ball games' signs, "to make public spaces more usable for children's play."

Emily Robinson, chief executive of charity London Sport, which has campaigned for the removal of the signs, said the report is "a significant and timely intervention at a critical moment for community sport and physical activity".

Robinson added: "We are particularly pleased to see recognition of the importance of unlocking the spaces around us - including support for our 'More Ball Games' campaign - which shows how small, practical changes can remove barriers and open up opportunities for children and young people to be active."

London Sport claims 560,000 Londoners are put off by the signs, and that each one removed could make up to 80 children more active.

The MPs also call for women's football to be exempt from the long-standing restrictions on broadcasting the sport on Saturday afternoons, saying it was "key to inspiring activity" and that ministers should "intervene in discussions" between the football authorities.

In England and Scotland, no matches are currently shown during the '3pm blackout' slot - 2.45pm-5:15pm - to encourage attendance at games.

"Evidence shows that when women's sport is regularly broadcast, especially on free‑to‑air TV, girls are more likely to feel inspired and motivated to be active," the report claims.

"A dedicated broadcast slot for women's football would provide consistent coverage, grow audiences and challenge persistent gender stereotypes."

Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage MP said: "We're a country of sport lovers when it comes to supporting our stars at home and abroad, but there are too many barriers stopping people from getting up and giving it a go themselves at school and clubs in our communities.

"What we need is a national shift in the way we think about sport and a commitment at all levels to deliver a healthy and more active nation.

"Boosting the visibility of strong role models for girls is also key to inspiring activity, so giving women's football a prime Saturday afternoon TV slot could have a transformative effect."

Following a year-long inquiry, the MPs' conclude that despite strong demand, committed volunteers, and many successful local initiatives, sport and physical activity "remain under-recognised within national health policy, and that a statutory duty must be placed on local authorities to provide sporting and leisure facilities in their communities".

It also says: "PE and daily movement are not being fully utilised in schools, leaving too many children, particularly the least active, without the health, wellbeing and learning benefits that regular activity provides."

The MPs are calling for a minimum of two hours of high-quality PE each week to be mandatory.

"Curriculum time for PE has declined, its non‑core status has reduced its perceived value, and inequalities in participation have widened as a result," the report states. "Making PE a core subject would raise its status and help ensure that physical activity is integrated across teaching and learning, rather than squeezed from the timetable."

The MPs make the case that investing in sport "delivers social and economic benefits that will lead to significant savings" in health and welfare budgets, while further recommendations include introducing greater planning protections for playing fields and sporting facilities.

The report says the MPs are "concerned" that the government is considering stripping funding agency Sport England of its statutory right to be consulted before a playing field is built on.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has been approached for comment. Last year it said that a minimum of £400m would be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities "that promote health, wellbeing and community cohesion", and that almost 1,000 community projects across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were set to benefit.