Call for evidence for the Parliamentary Commission on Physical Activity
The Parliamentary Commission on Physical Activity is taking a new approach to investigating physical inactivity in this country with a cross-sector, and cross-party, group of parliamentary experts. It will be taking evidence, both written and oral, to inform these recommendations which will then be published in a report in Spring 2014.
The All-Party Commission on Physical Activity has been established to address the urgent issue of our population's inactivity and make direct, policy-based recommendations to tackle this crisis.
What is the All-Party Commission on Physical Activity?
The Commission is taking a new approach to investigating physical inactivity in this country with a cross-sector group of parliamentary experts.
This novel approach is vital so that we can look for the first time at the whole, rather than the individual strands working in silo: Health, Sport, Transport and Urban Planning, and Education.
Why was it set up?
The Commission was set up is in response to the overwhelming evidence in the Designed to Move report and the need for action to end the physical inactivity epidemic in the UK, and will run from autumn 2013 to spring 2014. The Commission is run by Parliamentarians (also referred to as the Co-Chairs and Commissioners).
Who is involved?
The work of the Commission is directed by the Co-Chairs and Commissioners (list) who are all members of the UK Parliament, either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. The final report of the Commission, which will make policy recommendations to tackle this crisis, will be signed and directed by the outcomes of the Commission’s evidence gathering and presented by the Co-Chairs and Commissioners. The Co-Chairs and Commissioners are supported in this work by the Designed to Move Champions, with secretariat and communications support from FleishmanHillard and Blue Rubicon respectively.
The Co-Chairs
There are four Co-Chairs to lead proceedings, representing different sector backgrounds, each of whom brings extensive Parliamentary and policy experience to the table. They are as follows:
- Sport - Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
- Education – Charlotte Leslie MP
- Transport - Julian Huppert MP
Commissioners
The Commissioners also bring sector expertise to the Commission and will support the work of the Co-Chairs. They are as follows:
- Greg Mulholland MP
- Gerry Sutcliffe MP
Working to support the Commissioners in partnership, it includes:
Click here to find their Terms of Reference
Written submissions
They are actively encouraging written submissions to inform the policy recommendations. The Commission will build a comprehensive report, so want to hear from a wide range of interested parties. Please complete this form in order to submit evidence. The completed form should then be sent to the commission using this email.
The deadline for submission is 31 December 2013. All evidence that is submitted will be utilised for the purposes of the All-Party Commission on Physical Activity.
The Commission report, to be published in Spring 2014, will be a rallying call for government, local authorities, communities and individuals, with clear recommendations on how to tackle the inactivity crisis.
Disabled people and physical activity
It is still the harsh reality that disabled people are half as likely to be active as non-disabled people. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is working towards our vision that disabled people are active for life.
EFDS released a report in September that found, despite the euphoria of the 2012 Paralympic Games, disabled people are still experiencing a number of barriers which prevent their full participation in physical activity.
The study on disabled people’s lifestyles and their participation in physical activity highlights some stark findings:
- There is a clear untapped demand for sport and physical activity, with 70 per cent of those surveyed saying they want to do more.
- 64 per cent of disabled people surveyed would prefer to take part in sport and physical activity with a mix of disabled and non-disabled people, however only 51 per cent currently do. Therefore, the research highlights a clear mismatch between preference and availability.
- Over half of disabled people surveyed (51 per cent) are not enjoying their experiences of sport in school, compared to 69 per cent enjoying taking part in sport or physical activity with friends outside of school.
- Over 60 per cent of those surveyed claimed that either a lack of awareness of opportunities or a lack of available opportunities is what prevents them from taking part in sport and physical activity.
In another piece of EFDS research into the barriers to participation for disabled people, the study found that the psychological barriers are the most influential. They impact on both disabled people’s personal impression of sport and exercise, and non-disabled people’s attitudes towards disabled people’s ability to take part.
Barry Horne, Chief Executive of EFDS, said:
If people are being turned off participating in sport because of their experience at school for example, it creates a much greater challenge to engage people later in life when their behaviours and attitudes towards sports participation are more deeply ingrained. For disabled people who are keen to be active and want to be included, the development, delivery and active promotion of appropriate opportunities is essential. The fact that disabled people’s participation in sport is much lower than non-disabled people is a serious concern, especially as the benefits of physical activity to health and well being are widely known.
