RESIGNATION AT SPORT ENGLAND

Early day motion 1756, tabled 16 October 2002 by John Whittingdale (Conservative). Signed by 51 members.

That this House notes with concern the deepening crisis at Sport England as evidenced by the Government's failure to appoint a successor to the retiring Chairman Mr Trevor Brooking and the announcement yesterday of the resignation of its Chief Executive, Mr David Moffatt, after less than one year in office; further notes that nine of the 15 council members posts are currently vacant; believes that the problems at Sport England are the direct result of the Government's ill conceived plan to strip Sport England of its role in delivering sports programmes and to divide Sport England into nine regional boards; further notes the recent comments of the retiring Chairman Mr Brooking criticising the Government's failure to invest in sport; further notes that Sport England has still not been advised of the level of its Exchequer funding for the 2003 to 2006 spending review period; further notes the additional funding pressures caused by the Government's mismanagement of the National Lottery; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to reverse these policies that are undermining English sport and to reassert Sport England's strategic role as the predominant Government agency for sport in England.

Signatures by party: Conservative 49, Liberal Democrat 1, UUP 1.