Sil 2007: Conservative Party Q&a
Conservative Party leader David Cameron was bombarded with questions at this
week’s Sport Industry Lecture 2007. Here, Hugh Robertson, Shadow Minister for
Sport, answers some of the industry’s questions that there wasn’t time for on
the night.
Q. David mentioned some of his memorable moments in sport, all
related to individual heroes – drawing on around 10 examples, 5 of which had
been funded by SportsAid. He also mentioned teachers and coaches. What are the
Party’s views on investing in the human capital of sport?
A. Human capital or, to be precise, the quality of the individuals involved
is the single most important factor in delivering sport. We have all seen
examples of brilliant sports programmes delivered in poor facilities, and vice
versa, simply because of the quality and enthusiasm of the people involved.
We therefore need to use 2012 to attract a whole new generation of volunteers
into sport and ensure that the Sport National Governing Bodies have the correct
systems in place to train the necessary coaches. The role of SportsCoach UK in
overseeing and validating this process is crucial.
Q. Why are some sports regarded as elitest? What can we do to address
this?
A. Sports are generally regarded as elitist because of outdated perceptions
or adverse media coverage. If a sport is affected in this way, it is important
that they make a special effort to ensure that they have the necessary systems
in place to ensure that their sport is widely available, and that there are no
barriers to entry, and for the government not to contribute to perpetuating out
of date stereotypes.
Q. All political parties have recognised the power of sport in
providing alternative solutions to a whole range of social issues, yet
frustratingly there seems to be very little connectivity or a co-operation
between Government Departments in regard to this issue. Only this week one of or
policy team at CCPR received an e-mail from an official at the DCMS asking if he
know whether DEFRA were bringing forward any proposals in a particular area of
activity. Would a Conservative Government seek to break down
barriers between Government Departments in order to enhance sport’s ability to
deliver across the social agenda, and would you look to ensure that it has
sufficient (ie far more) funding and resources in order to do so?
A. An incoming Conservative government would seek to address exactly this
problem by instituting a body like The Australian Sports Commission. This would
bring together the Ministers from all the departments involved in sport to
co-ordinate their work and ensure that there is no overlapping or unnecessary
beaurocracy. It would also act as a champion for sport in government.
Q. The legacy of London 2012 has been mentioned as an important
factor in what it brings to the UK. What do you think the health legacy of
London 2012 will be and what role can health-related charities play in
it?
A. Both a challenge and an opportunity of London 2012 is that The Olympic
dream means so many different things to so many different people. It is
important to use this to engender enthusiasm for The Games without raising
unreasonable expectations that cannot be delivered.
Whilst the regeneration of Stratford is important, it is vital that the human
legacy is not forgotten – namely the commitment to inspire a whole new
generation of people to better their lives through sport. If we achieve this,
and it will not happen without the proper planning, it will be the greatest
health benefit of London 2012.
