Tag: Lord Pendry

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2015-11-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the allegations directed at the leadership of the International Association of Athletics Federations in the light of the World Anti-Doping Agency report on non-compliance and widespread doping in Russian athletics.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) near unanimous vote to suspend Russian athletes from all competition reflected the worldwide reaction to the Independent Commission’s report to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Russia, the IAAF and WADA must now work together, to not only resolve the findings within the report, but to also re-establish the trust of clean athletes and spectators.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-03-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the announcement that Maria Sharapova has failed a drug test for a substance introduced to the banned substance list this year, whether they will take steps to ensure that the World Anti-Doping Agency guarantees that all of its athletes, including those representing the UK, are fully aware of the drugs that are added to that list each year.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Both the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) take the matter of athlete communication and education very seriously. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of athletes and their support personnel to be aware of the annual changes to WADA’s Prohibited List.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Olympic Games in Rio, what steps they will take to encourage greater participation in sport in the UK, in particular among women and ethnic minorities.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

The brilliant performance of Team GB at this year’s Olympic Games will have inspired many to take part in sport and physical activity. We are determined to get more people from under-represented groups including women and ethnic minorities taking part in sport and physical activity and to remove any barrier that prevents them from doing so. Government’s sport strategy ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for An Active Nation’ states that in future government will, via Sport England, support work designed to get more people from under-represented groups engaging in sport and physical activity and wherever possible, this focus on under-represented groups will run through all Sport England funding.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2015-11-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the President of the International Association of Athletics Federations in his condemnation of alleged state-sponsored doping within Russian athletics.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

This is a difficult time for the world of sport and Russian athletics, but it is essential that robust steps are taken to ensure athletics regains its integrity. Lord Coe has been clear that his priority is to rebuild trust in athletics.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-03-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the process by which the World Anti-Doping Agency informs athletes of the drugs added each year to the list of banned substances.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

WADA issues communications to a range of stakeholders to ensure that everyone knows the timeframes by which the Prohibited List is published and when it takes effect. This information is freely available on WADA’s website.

In the UK, Athletes and Athlete Support Personnel receive information about changes to the Prohibited List through communications from UK Anti-Doping. This is done via the respective National Governing Bodies of sport in advance of the changes coming into place, as well as through information given on the UK Anti-Doping website, social media channels and the Clean Sport App.

However, it is ultimately the responsibility of athletes and their support personnel to be aware of the annual changes to the Prohibited List.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2015-11-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the continued case for the 25 per cent proposed budget cuts to UK Anti-Doping in the light of reports that widespread doping exists in the world of athletics, and what steps they plan to take in the light of any assessment.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) works tirelessly to promote clean sport and is highly regarded internationally.

Any decision regarding funding is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-03-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the International Tennis Federation about the issue of equal prize money for men and women in tennis tournaments.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

HMG has had no such discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the debate in the House of Lords on 5 November (HL Deb, cols 1811–40) on the regeneration legacy of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, what assessment they have made of Lord Moynihan’s remarks that the UK should have a sports policy.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

I am grateful for Lord Moynihan’s valuable contributions to that debate in the House.

The Minister for Sport has made it clear that a new approach to sport is needed. The Government published a consultation paper on a new sport strategy in early August and the responses received are being considered. The Government will publish its new strategy for sport in due course, the first such strategy for 13 years.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-03-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the International Tennis Federation about the issue of equal prize money for men and women in tennis tournaments.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

HMG has had no such discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of a recent report by UKactive that lack of exercise is estimated to cause 37,000 deaths annually and cost the UK economy £20 billion a year, what steps they are taking to reduce levels of inactivity.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government welcomes ukactive’s report. It makes an important contribution to the debate on physical activity and builds on the framework for action set out by Public Health England last year in “Everybody Active Every Day”.

The Government recognises the health, economic and social benefits to individuals, communities and the nation of increasing physical activity levels. Since 2011, the Government has invested over £450 million in the PE and Sport Primary Premium in order to improve PE and sport. A further £46.5 million has been invested in School Games in order to provide all children, regardless of their ability, with a chance to participate in competitive sport. In addition £13 million has been invested in Change4life sports clubs which targets the least active children and helps them get more active.

We are also committed to raising awareness among the public and health professionals of the benefits of physical activity. We have worked with experts to translate the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) guidelines on physical activity into easy messages in the form of an infographic which health professionals can now use with their patients when they discuss physical activity. The UK’s CMOs have now asked the experts to carry out a similar piece of work on physical activity for children and young people. In addition, Public Health England’s Change4Life campaign continues to support families to make healthy choices, including being active.

Further action to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour will be taken via the Government’s new strategy for sport to be published shortly.