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Written question asked by Andrew Snowden (Conservative) on Monday, 18 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. It was answered by Stephanie Peacock (Labour) on Thursday, 28 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Sports Competitors: Health

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase general awareness of relative energy deficiency in sport.

Answer

The Government is committed to supporting women and girls in sport at every level by actively removing the barriers that prevent their full participation.

Female athletes disproportionately experience a number of health conditions, including Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), which has common indicators such as stress fractures and changes to the menstrual cycle.

DCMS’ Women’s Football Taskforce and Women’s Sport Taskforce are driving progress on numerous fronts for sportswomen, including working closely with the Female Athlete Health National Governing Body Collective to better understand where academic research is happening on issues such as RED-S. The Women’s Football Taskforce also commissioned Loughborough University to work with leading insurance providers and brokers to offer more appropriate support for female athletes. This work has encouraged insurers to address blind spots in existing cover, including RED-S.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
2327
Session
2026-27
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Health Sports competitors
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk