New report from Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticises the DCMS and Sport England over cash supposed to extend participation in sport; PAC chair says there had been “precious little to show by way of legacy” from London 2012; DCMS and Sport England refute claims

The Government has been accused of losing cash supposed to extend participation in sport after the London 2012 Olympics

The Government has been accused of losing cash supposed to spice up grassroots participation and bodily exercise ranges after the London 2012 Olympics.

A brand new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) printed on Sunday criticises the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and grassroots funding physique Sport England over what it sees as an “unacceptable” lack of oversight of exactly how and the place public cash designed to get folks energetic is being spent.

PAC chair Dame Meg Hillier stated there had been “precious little to show by way of legacy” from London 2012 and added: “The lack of vision and drive has seen Sport England pay out £1.5billion of taxpayers’ money without knowing where two-thirds of it went, and there’s a paltry 1.2 per cent increase in active adults to show for it (between November 2016 and 2019).

“More waste, extra lack of desperately wanted public cash. As the cost-of-living disaster bites onerous, DCMS should set out what it would do otherwise to realize change the place it has not succeeded.”

PAC chair Dame Meg Hillier stated there had been “treasured little to indicate by means of legacy” from London 2012

Sport England is understood to regard the PAC’s claim that it does not know where its investment goes as inaccurate.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: “Sport England invests public cash responsibly and transparently, recording and publishing information on all grant recipients, together with location information proper all the way down to postcode stage. This is all clearly accessible on-line, with info on the place each pound that we spend goes.”

Sport England is working to understand in greater detail where its national investments to governing bodies like the Football Association, the Lawn Tennis Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board are having a local impact without introducing too much red tape.

In all the report makes seven recommendations to DCMS and Sport England, who it states have made “little progress” in tackling barriers to participation.

Sport England also refutes this, pointing out that pre-pandemic, activity levels were at a record high across England and that its recent Active Lives data showed that participation was now recovering fast, with children and young people bouncing back already to pre-pandemic levels.

Sport England says its ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy launched in 2021 is dedicated to investing in partnerships and programmes to reduce inactivity and tackle stubborn inequalities.

Sport England refutes the declare there was “little progress” in tackling barriers to participation

The PAC was also not convinced DCMS currently works effectively with other Government departments and industry to integrate physical activity into everyday life.

However, the Sport For Development Coalition network, which is supported by Sport England, is actively demonstrating to a range of Government departments the positive social and economic benefits of the targeted sport-based interventions its members are involved in.

The Coalition’s executive director Hitesh Patel said: “Our ambition is that future measures to extend participation in sport and bodily exercise, and scale back inequalities, ought to at all times look past participation alone and think about the broader advantages of sport to society.”

Coalition members are currently working to distribute £5million of funding from the Ministry of Justice aimed at using sport to prevent young people becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.

A DCMS spokesperson responded: “This authorities has made the nation’s well being and health a precedence, and other people’s exercise ranges had been at all-time highs earlier than the pandemic.

“Through the pandemic we provided £1billion to support leisure sectors such as public pools and leisure centres as well as grassroots and professional sports, and we continue to drive up participation, particularly for under-represented groups.

“Activity ranges for younger folks have now returned to pre-pandemic ranges and we proceed to work with Sport England to put money into sport for all, having not too long ago introduced £320m for colleges and greater than £260m to construct or improve 1000’s of grassroots services.

“We will shortly be publishing a new sport strategy setting out our ambition to continue to increase activity rates and will respond to the Committee’s report in due course.”