To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he is holding with national sports bodies to ensure that mass participation and competitive community sport can recommence following covid-19 lockdown measures.

It is vital that the sport and physical activity sector is supported to come through this difficult period and it has a crucial role in supporting the nation back into activity once the pandemic has abated and as lockdown measures start to ease.

Both I and the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage are holding regular discussions with a range of sport and physical activity organisations to ensure that the sector is in the best possible place to support a return to physical activity and competitive sport.

On 20 May, the Government established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce which will examine the most effective and creative ways to support the reopening of the recreation and leisure sectors, with membership drawn from those sectors. The Taskforce is being supported by working groups specifically focused on individual sectors, including sport and physical. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce.