Britain has lost 7,000 PE teachers since 2012 Olympics, MPs told

Britain has 7,000 fewer PE teachers than when London hosted the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, MPs have been told, while 30% of children are now doing less than 30 minutes of any physical activity, including walking, a day.

- Sean Ingle

The figures were given in the first session of the digital culture, media and sport committee's inquiry into the challenges in provision of sport for children and young people - and what can be done to arrest the decline in activity levels.

The chair of the committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, said there were 41,000 fewer hours of PE taught in the last academic year compared with 2011-12. And children also now have, on average, 20 minutes less play time at school than they did 30 years ago.

Ali Oliver, CEO of the Youth Sport Trust charity, told MPs this would have consequences "for all manner of things" including cognitive development and long-term health, and called on PE to be a core subject.