London 2012 Olympics: Destination of £1bn govt cash spent in wake of games unknown, say MPs | UK News

deputies have found in commemoration of efforts to address drop in sports participation after the London Olympics of more than £1 billion in grants remains unknown.

House of House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts says that at that time of 2012 games in government aims to maintain a lasting legacy of £8.8bn spent. on there are advantages in event failed materialize.

As part of first three years after games proportion of adult participation in sport fell at least once a week, prompting ministers to refocus their strategy.

But despite the cost of hundreds of millions of pounds since the committee found change of tick did not result in significant change in national participation rates.

Report released by committee today says out of £1.5 billion in grants distributed by Sport England since 2016, body only knows where 450 million pounds of it was wasted.

And despite spending £323m a year year since 2015 department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Sport England made little progress in overcoming inequalities and barriers to participation.

Chair of Committee Dame Meg Hillier blamed the “lack of of vision and drive” seen at Sport England for this is failure take full account of for two-thirds of taxpayers money he passed out.

Numbers also show that between 2016 and 2019 the number of of active participation of adults in sports increased by only 1.2 percent points.

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Even now it’s almost two in five adults in England still does not comply with the recommendations of the chief physician for recommended activity.

Dame Meg said: “After a short term financial there were very few show from way of legacy, even in my immediate area of East London where the 2012 Games were held.

“Dumping since 2015 has not begun to bring leveling-up intended benefits.

“Absence of vision and drive saw Sport England pay out £1.5 billion of taxpayers money not knowing where two-thirds of it’s gone and there’s a slight increase of 1.2% in active adults to show for It.

“More waste more loss of desperately needy public money. As cost-of-bites live crisis hardDCMS must set out what will he do differently.

The Commission identified seven key failures of DCMS and Sport England and released set of recommendations accompanying them.

They included need to show how in money be spent translates to progressSport England writing to the committee with action is plans take and break of where the taxpayer spends cashDCMS setting out what he will do to increase the participation and work of the department with Department for Level up to ensure leisure facilities are sustainable.

AT terms of £1 billion in grants, appointment of unknown, the committee stated that Sport England distributed £1.5 billion. in grants in five years from 2016-17, but only knows which local governments the funding went to for £450 million of this expense.

“Is not know where in country remaining two thirds of awarded grants have been spent because distribution is not tracked of grants issued national organizations,” the committee said in a statement. in Statement issued to agree with Report.

It is clear that while Sport England says it has a reliable process for by tracking and evaluating their funds, some funds are being distributed further and as such Sport England is looking for ways to improve how he is following this spendand this will be the main part of in government future strategy.

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AND government the spokesman said, “This government It has made the health of the nation and fitness priority and people’s activity levels were at an all-time high before the pandemic.

“During the pandemic, we provided £1 billion support leisure sectors such as public pools and entertainment centers, as well as mass and professional sports, and we continue drive up participation, especially for underrepresented groups.

“Activity Levels for young people returned to pre-pandemic levels, and we continue work with Sports England Invest in sport for all recently announced £320 million for schools and more than £260 million to build or update thousands of lower objects.

“Soon we will publish new sport strategy parameter out our commitment to continue to increase the level of activity and will respond to the committee’s report in properly”.