OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF DARTS AS A SPORT

Early day motion 307, tabled 13 June 2005 by Bob Russell (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 23 members.

That this House welcomes the decision of the Sports Councils of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to give official recognition that darts is a sport; pays tribute to the British Darts Organisation for the leading role it has played in ensuring that darts is given its rightful status as a sport, and to all others involved in the campaign, including the Professional Darts Corporation; notes that darts is played by millions of people and has always enjoyed popular acclaim as being a sport although national sports bodies have hitherto declined to recognise it as such; and looks forward to an even brighter future for British darts as a result of the official declaration that it is a sport with competitors rightly entitled to the description sportsmen and sportswomen.

Signatures by party: Labour 12, Liberal Democrat 9, Conservative 1, Plaid Cymru 1.