Written question asked by Stephen Hepburn (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 October 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 28 October 2002. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Monday, 28 October 2002 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department is doing to encourage improved health and preventative health programmes through increased physical activity.

Answer: Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department is doing to encourage improved health and preventative health programmes through increased physical activity. [75208] Ms Blears: The Government recognises the importance of physical activity to improving health and has set up a programme of activity to increase rates of physical activity. Together with the Countryside Agency and Sport England, the Department is developing a programme of local exercise action pilots (LEAPs), which will test out different community approaches to increasing physical activity. The results will inform and lead action on physical activity across the National Health service. Local strategies to increase physical activity are being developed as part of the national service framework for coronary heart disease. To support the development of local physical activity programmes, the Department published a national quality assurance framework for exercise referral systems in April 2001. This offers guidance to primary care and fitness professionals who work together to offer tailored exercise programmes to patients whose health would benefit from increased exercise.

Secondary information