Hugh Robertson: As part of our commitment to a create a lasting sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we are investing considerably in cycling. Between 2009 and 2013, Sport England has invested over £21 million in velodromes and BMX track cycling facilities. This included £10.5 million invested into the London Velodrome on the Queen Elizabeth Park to ensure it is open to the community...
Hugh Robertson: DCMS works with the Department for Transport on cycling policy. DCMS gave evidence at the APPG enquiry and contributed to the DFT response.
Hugh Robertson: I am not sure that that is entirely right. If one talks to many of the big sport governing bodies, such as British Cycling, one hears that huge numbers of people who are cycling are not picked up by the exacting criteria on which the surveys are based. As the hon. Gentleman knows, starting this September—this was the point of yesterday’s meeting—the new primary school sports premium...
Hugh Robertson: ...release showed that in January to December 2012 44.7% of adults participated in at least one session of 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport in the last week (including recreational walking and cycling). Data are available on the DCMS website in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taking-part-2012- 13-quarter-3-statistical-release
Hugh Robertson: ...IPC para athletics grand prix final 2013 UCI track world cup 2013 FIH hockey world league 2013 The Tour de France Grand Depart 2014 We are currently bidding to host more events including: The track cycling world championships (2016); The European judo championships (2015); The rowing world cup (2015); The world figure skating championships (2016); The youth Olympic games (2018). Community...
Hugh Robertson: We are delighted that the Tour de France is coming to England in 2014. This will be a fantastic way to inspire more people to take up and enjoy cycling. The three stages in Yorkshire, Cambridge and London will showcase some of our most iconic venues and will be a very fitting part of the London 2012 legacy. The Government will make funding available to UK Sport, to support the Grand Départ...
Hugh Robertson: ...of them won medals: Peter and Richard Chambers won silver in the Men's Lightweight Four (Rowing) and Alan Campbell won bronze in the Men's Single Sculls (Rowing). The others were Wendy Houvenaghel (Cycling), Iain Lewers (Hockey), and Na Lui (Table Tennis).
Hugh Robertson: My Department has a Cycle to Work scheme in place. The scheme enables employees to hire out cycles and cyclists' equipment as a tax free benefit. My Department also has a Cycling Buddy scheme which is an informal network of staff who promotes the scheme, helps new and returning cyclists to get cycling, gain confidence and get support.
Hugh Robertson: ...a key objective of much of the reconstitution work around the Olympic park was to create such walking trails. Indeed, I led quite a lot of work last year to ensure that the full commitments on the cycling area are upheld when the track is reconstituted after the games. In tandem with the VisitBritain investment, VisitEngland has a £25 million campaign, including “Holidays at Home Are...
Hugh Robertson: ...up, particularly to young people, while maintaining the correct balances. In the past 12 months, the Government have announced that £107 million will be made available during this Parliament for cycling. That included last month’s announcement of a fund worth up to £12 million being made available to local authorities working in partnership with the national parks to improve conditions...
Hugh Robertson: ...in this area, is not inexhaustible. We have done very well to increase the overall budget for Olympic and Paralympic sport by 11%—the only host nation ever to achieve that—and for the Rio cycle, but that does not mean that we can avoid taking tough decisions. This has been one of them. Having been through the decision-making process with UK Sport—it took me through it and Sport...
Hugh Robertson: ..., and congratulate him on his speech. I also congratulate all the other Members who have spoken. I want sport in this country to be successful, and I want basketball to be as successful as rowing, cycling, sailing or of any of the other more obviously successful Olympic sports. It would probably be overdoing it to be say that basketball has had a troubled past, but the fact that it has not...
Hugh Robertson: ...information on the relocation of other relocatable structures will be included in my next update. Major Sports Events Since the games, the UK has already successfully delivered: UCI World Track Cycling Cup (Glasgow) 2012 Gymnastics World Cup (Glasgow) 2012 Since my written statement of 18 September, we have won the right to host the following major sports events in the UK: BWF...
Hugh Robertson: No is the simple answer to that question. Many sports contain an element of risk—riding and cycling, both of which have much higher injury tallies than boxing, come to mind. At London 2012, the majority of injuries were not from boxing, but from other sports. Most young people like an element of risk, and boxing has a really important role to play in encouraging young people to take up...
Hugh Robertson: ...the bid was conducted, that Yorkshire was on to something that others possibly had not picked up. I wholeheartedly congratulate Yorkshire on that achievement. There are a number of good years for cycling in front of us, and I will come on to that, but 2014 is an important year for this country any way with the Commonwealth games coming to Glasgow a month or so after the Tour de France,...
Hugh Robertson: Let me explain it to the hon. Gentleman. It is not absurd. It is a different sort of event, because it is not run by the International Cycling Union, the governing body that regulates world cycling, but by a private company. That puts it on a slightly different footing. I will come in a minute to what we can do to help. The reason why UK Sport does not allow a free-for-all is that if it did,...
Hugh Robertson: ...am not sure that there is a lot to be gained by raking over the coals in respect of where this went wrong, given the special nature of this bid involving a private organisation, and so on. British Cycling, which is not renowned for making mistakes, appears to have backed another bid because, as it told me, it could not get sight of the Yorkshire proposals early enough to make a decision....
Hugh Robertson: ...benefits for the country as well as encouraging our young people to take up new sports, we are bidding to host more events including the European swimming championships (2016), the UCI track cycling world championships (2016) and the IOC Youth Olympic games (2018), among many others in the pipeline. Community Places People Play Sport England’s £135 million sports legacy programme....
Hugh Robertson: ...turning out in Southend, and the 'Sparks will Fly' cultural celebration attracted audiences of 15,000 in Chelmsford. In hosting the Olympic Mountain Bike competition at Hadleigh Farm a range of cycling initiatives has been introduced across the county—from 'Mud Sweat and Gears' for serious cyclists to 'Bicycle Ballet' a performing arts installation, with training hosted at the Hadleigh...
Hugh Robertson: ...attention that will follow. The south-east has 30 PCTCs confirmed so far. Notably, the Singapore National Olympic Committee will be located at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford and several international cycling teams will base themselves at hotels throughout Surrey, to enable training on the road route, ahead of the races. Over 1 million people are expected to visit Surrey to watch the road...