Testing the Waters: the Sport of Swimming, a report by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, calls for more public 50-metre pools throughout the country as well as further funding for Sport England to help local authorities modernise neglected pools.

Treasury funding for Sport England in 2000/2001 was £38m compared to £237m for the Arts Council and £115m for English Heritage. We have estimated that to refurbish existing pools across the county would cost £2-3bn and to bring all sports facilities up to the highest standard would cost £10bn, said Trevor Brooking, Chair of Sport England. The amount of Lottery funding available annually to Sport England is less than £200m; Sport England currently receives only £43m from the government for investment in sport, so I welcome the Committee's recommendation.

The Committee also recommended that swimming be a key point in government policy with every child having the opportunity to learn to swim. A further recommendation was for more resources from the Heritage Lottery Fund to be made to available to help refurbish historic pools, a valuable part of the UK's heritage.

A copy of the report is available at www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/cmshome.htm