Labour to look at increasing emphasis on sport in schools

The Sports Minister Richard Caborn hinted yesterday that the Government would more than double the time allotted to school sports should Labour win the election.

The Sports Minister Richard Caborn hinted yesterday that the Government would more than double the time allotted to school sports should Labour win the election.

Speaking at a launch for the Salford Triathlon, which will stage its third consecutive World Cup event on 31 July, Caborn commented: "We are now committed to giving every child two hours of quality physical activity or sport every week from the ages of five to 16, and we are looking at how we can extend that to four-to-five hours a week."

Caborn was present to highlight Britain's capability of hosting major international sporting events 86 days before the International Olympic Committee award the 2012 Games. Soon after taking office four years ago, Caborn was put in the invidious position of offering the international athletics authorities Sheffield as a second - ultimately rejected - option after the Government reneged on its promise to stage this year's World Championships at Pickett's Lock in north London.

Although he insisted that the success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games had helped to make up that lost ground, he admitted it had still been an area of concern for the visiting IOC evaluation committee last month.

"They drilled very deeply into our commitment when they came over, and rightly so," he said. "I think they went away convinced that we will do what we say."