asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that sufficient financial provision is available to increase the present level of particiation in sport and recreation.

The country can only invest in sport what overall resources the economy can afford. It is up to the Sports Council, through grants and loans, to persuade the private sector, local authorities and voluntary organisations to invest in sport.To help the Sports Council in these aims its annual grant-in-aid over the past three years has grown in real terms, as follows:

	£ million
1979–80	15·73
1980–81	19·31
1981–82	21·03

For 1982–83 the expected outturn is £22·76 million, plus an additional £1 million for the Merseyside initiative.In addition, in 1981–82 sport and recreation projects under my Department's urban programmes accounted for £23 million. For 1982–83 the expected outturn for sport and recreation projects under these programmes is £29·7 million.