16. To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to promote opportunities for young people to participate in competitive sport. (182038)

The 2006-07 School Sport Survey showed that:

98 per cent. of schools held a competitive sports day;

58 per cent. of pupils were involved in intra-school competition; and

35 per cent. of all pupils were involved in inter-school competition.

We are committed to increasing the number of children and young people involved in competitive sport as part of our plans to offer five hours of sport for all five to 16-year-olds and three hours for young people aged 16 to 19.

We are working with governing bodies and school sport associations to improve their competition frameworks and we are also establishing a national network of competition managers to implement our plans at a local level.