Baroness Grey-Thompson (CB)

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Sater, for tabling this debate today. I draw your Lordships’ attention to my entry in the register; I am president of the LGA, chair of Sport Wales and previously chair of ukactive. The LGA’s Commission on Culture and Local Government has highlighted that access to culture is not evenly distributed across the nation. Any measures to address this are very welcome. However, I believe that access to sport and physical activity is also very important but under threat. This is not about elite sport but about keeping people fit and well, mentally and physically, and keeping them out of the NHS, which, like local councils, is under significant pressure. The positive benefits include driving economic growth and educational outcomes and improving the quality of life. Sport Wales has shown that sport contributes £5.89 billion in social value to Wales. Sport England’s figures, in research from 2024, show that participation relieves pressure on the NHS through £10.5 billion a year in health and social care savings, while the annual social value is over £107 billion. Providing people with the right culture and leisure services has the potential to deliver significantly better outcomes and socioeconomic benefits. I thank ukactive for its briefing. Budget measures, particularly the rise in employer national insurance, the national living wage and business rates, place additional financial strain on the physical activity sector. Large public and private operators estimate that the changes will result in a 10% increase in payroll costs, forcing reductions in staffing, services and future investments. Cost pressures threaten the affordability of facilities such as gyms, pools and leisure centres, risking high barriers to the second-largest driver of physical activity in the country, and worsening health inequalities across communities. His Majesty’s Government need to work with the sector to mitigate the Budget’s impact on the operating costs of facilities, thus safeguarding jobs, sustaining public health benefits, and allowing for continued growth and investment in local communities. The sector is essential in improving national health, driving economic growth and supporting the Government’s five missions. I understand there are massive challenges, but sport and physical activity are integral to a healthy society.