To ask the Minister of Health what share of his Department's budget, including that of its arm's-length bodies, is allocated to youth sport, given the associated long term benefits to both mental and physical health.

My Department’s “A Fitter Future for All”, the current obesity prevention strategy for Northern Ireland, seeks to promote greater participation in all forms of physical activity across the life course. Physical activity plays a key role in improving population health and well-being.

While Department for Communities leads on the new Sport and Physical Activity Strategy, we continue to work collaboratively with them on this agenda. For example, in 2023/24 the Public Health Agency (PHA) provided circa £210,000 towards youth sport programmes/activities. However, it is difficult to provide a definitive figure as elements of activity for youth sport is included within wider commissioned programmes/grants, and as such the detail on the youth sport funding element is not readily available. There is also wider support for people of all ages to participate in physical activity, funded by the PHA and the Health and Social Care Trusts.

My Department is currently consulting on a new Strategic Framework to prevent the harm caused by obesity, and improve diets and levels of physical activity in Northern Ireland. This will help set out the way forward on this key public health challenge.