Hugh tackles Government spending plan

HUGH ROBERTSON TACKLES GOVERNMENT OVER SWIMMING COSTS

Hugh Robertson, Shadow Sports Minister, today tackled the Sports Minister, Richard Caborn, over the costs of training swimming coaches. The question followed on from the MP’s campaign over parental supervision of children in public swimming pools which was highlighted by constituents concern over rules at the Faversham Pools and Maidstone Swimming Pool.

Hugh said: “Swimming is now the most popular sports in the UK. One in five people swim regularly and are drawn from all age groups. It has obvious health benefits which makes the stupid and bureaucratic rules over access to swimming pools so unnecessary.

“However, in order to meet this demand, the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) needs to train 12,000 coaches each year. It is experiencing significant problems meeting the cost of this training, over insurance and over child protection measures.

“The ASA are doing an outstanding job – and deserve our thanks. However, they desperately need more government assistance – money that could easily be diverted straight to the national sport governing bodies from the expensive and unnecessary regional sports structure that the government is creating.”