Speeches by McKinnell.

“You have identified what the real opportunity is that we have here to make sure that we take all those fantastic examples. We can all think of them in our local area as well, in my local schools, and the children who benefit from them. It is to make sure that that is not dependent on some of the challenges in girls' an…”

“Do you want to come in there?”

“If you are talking about the partnership model that we are working on, as a Department, we are very keen to develop school sport partnerships and we will be taking a leading role in that, but it is very much a cross-Government approach. I think that is the difference from what we have seen before.”

“When we have worked out and will announce our new partnership approach, the intention is that we maximise all the community assets that we have available. By taking a co-ordinated, cross-departmental approach—because some of it, yes, is related to the Department for Education. Some is related to MHCLG, communities and …”

“Oh. Some of the funding went to Active Partnerships, which then co-ordinated the approach in the local area. Some went directly to schools. What we want is a sustainable model that makes sure we are maximising all these assets that we have in our communities.”

“Forgone?”

“What we want to do is to wrap it into the partnership approach. Schools will be partners in that approach, and national governing associations, local authorities and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, making sure that we have a genuine partnership, all focused on improving access to quality sport, PE and phys…”

“That is a fair challenge. The principle of the three-year limited timeframe fund and what it was intended to achieve was to tackle some of that challenge. Although I cannot speak for the previous Government, my understanding is that the intention of the programme was to understand why these facilities are not being mad…”

“Do you have a response to that?”

“Clearly, that is part of the focus that we have generally in our approach that we need to take. We are very conscious of the gendered challenge when it comes to participation in sport and the socioeconomic challenge of communities that have less resource and therefore fewer facilities. We know that schools on a much wi…”

“Is that based on a report on the opening schools facilities programme?”

“I appreciate that you have directed this specifically at me, but could Matthew just finish what he was saying?”

“It was a scheme of the previous Government, so I think that Matthew will be well placed to answer your question.”

“Clearly, I agree that school sports facilities are vital assets for pupils and local communities, not only because they offer those great facilities, but they are also quite a familiar environment for a lot of people, and there is real value in that. We have taken lessons from the three years that the scheme was in pla…”

“I am not sure that is a question for the Department for Education. I do appreciate the challenge you raise to school playing fields, for example. I think it is important that very clear criteria are followed in the case of a change of use of any sports playing facilities. We know that where they are on designated educa…”

“I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of the curriculum and assessment review.”

“It is all in discussion. We do appreciate that each school has particular circumstances that they need to meet and address as part of their PE and sport offer but I also know schools would welcome a more co-ordinated approach and support and bolstering of capacity within the school to be able to provide in-school as we…”

“It is ringfenced for the 2025-26 academic year. As you will know, but I will say it for the purpose of the Committee hearing it, it is a combination of funding from the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care, and that is in recognition of the value not just of the quality of education in…”

“We are working on the details of that. To come to your earlier point, we are not actually waiting either. We are getting on already. We have met with the governing bodies. We have also launched Inclusion 2028. In answer to your earlier question about how we support teachers to provide high-quality teaching, physical ac…”

“I can be more specific. About what?”