The Chancellor said there can be no "solid growth without solid finances", but we know there can be no growth without improved health too. The announcements yesterday will do little to move the dial on physical activity levels nor unlock the potential of our sector to contribute to wider Government policy priorities.

Yesterday’s Budget was a missed opportunity to improve the health and productivity of the nation by supporting more people to be active. Given the Budget’s focus on increasing productivity, workforce and NHS efficiency, further measures designed to support the sport, recreation and physical activity sector to achieve these priorities – including targeted tax and regulatory reforms and wider investment – should have been much more prominent in this announcement. 

More broadly the Government’s own Get Active strategy sets targets to get 2.5 million more adults and one million more children active by 2030. And there remain very serious financial pressures on local government with cuts already being made to non-statutory services such as sport and leisure in many areas. These targets are therefore at serious risk given the lack of measures in the Budget to help achieve them.

The NSPG has demonstrated the value of increased levels of physical activity in direct savings for the NHS, increased productivity and wellbeing benefits. However, realising these benefits requires a substantive policy change and we would therefore welcome the opportunity to work with Government to identify further opportunities to reform. 

In this General Election year, we will challenge our political leaders to commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe – and in doing so generate £1bn healthcare savings and a GDP uplift of £3.6bn a year. Now is the time to take the necessary steps to make that happen, in the long-term interests of the country.  

Huw Edwards, CEO, ukactive, said: "Unless the Chancellor and the Government begin to address the pandemic of poor health in this nation, there will be no sustainable economic growth, and this Budget is a missed opportunity to utilise a sector that will be fundamental to improving our national health".  

"We need to see a real impetus to our collective mission to get more people more active, more often. ukactive’s proposals around VAT, business rates, and ‘Workout from Work’ could all boost economic growth and productivity, and improve the nation’s health, among the biggest challenges facing the Government, and yet remain absent from this Budget. 

"The sector is ready to work at pace with the Government and all political parties to commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe and delivering on the wider potential of physical activity."