In June, the Government announced a new PE and School Sport Partnership Network to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. A national network will be developed to build strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies to identify and break down barriers to sport for children who are less active.

In addition, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, including for children and young people, and will then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which receives up to £13.4 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives, and into England Netball, which receives up to £26.2 million over five years to invest in Netball.

In the Surrey Heath constituency specifically, in the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England invested £314,995 to improve access to sport and physical activity.

In June, the Government announced a new PE and School Sport Partnership Network to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. A national network will be developed to build strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies to identify and break down barriers to sport for children who are less active.

In addition, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, including for children and young people, and will then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which receives up to £13.4 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives, and into England Netball, which receives up to £26.2 million over five years to invest in Netball.

In the Surrey Heath constituency specifically, in the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England invested £314,995 to improve access to sport and physical activity.

I have not had discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the inclusion of netball, or any other sport, in the Olympic Games.

The Olympic sports programme is determined by the IOC. The British Olympic Association, as the National Organising Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is the domestic representative to the IOC and does so operating independently of the Government.

The Government wants to get more people from all backgrounds embracing sport and physical activity, including those less likely to do so such as women and girls, and help them to get active in ways that suit them.

Sport England, the government arm’s length body responsible for grassroots sport in England, are investing in a series of programmes and initiatives to increase participation amongst women and girls in basketball and netball. This includes £19.7m for the 2017-2021 funding cycle in England Netball to increase the number of women and girls participating in the sport. England Netball deliver this through programmes such as Back to Netball and Walking Netball and to support the high performance pathway. The Netball World Cup will also continue to build interest in the sport and will be supported by the This Girl Can campaign.

Sport England are also investing £6.04m for the 2017-2021 funding cycle in Basketball England to fund both the talent pathway and community participation. Funded programmes focused on increasing girl’s participation in the sport include Junior NBA (a city based schools league competition) and the recently launched Slam Jam (aimed at primary school aged children).

Government has invested over £47M of Exchequer and Lottery funding since 2010 through Sport England, supporting England Netball and a range of delivery partners across the country to run and promote the sport.