Dame Caroline Dinenage, MP and chair of the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee, has warned that young girls in England encounter far too many obstacles when trying to take part in sport. In response, she has advocated for the abolition of the long‑standing 3 pm television blackout that currently prevents women’s football matches from being shown live on free‑to‑air channels. The CMS Committee, which scrutinises government policy, spending and administration, recently published a comprehensive "Game On" report.
The document paints a mixed picture of how effectively community and school sport meets the needs of the English population. While some initiatives are working well, the report identifies significant gaps, especially for school‑aged girls, whose participation rates drop sharply as they approach puberty.
Among the many practical recommendations aimed at boosting participation across all ages, the committee singled out the 3 pm Saturday blackout as a key barrier for women’s football. Evidence gathered during the inquiry shows that when women’s sport is televised, it inspires girls and young women to become more active and consider playing themselves.
The current legislation, dating back half a century, forbids any football match that starts at 3 pm on a Saturday from being broadcast live in the United Kingdom. The committee argues that this outdated rule should be lifted to give women’s games a regular, high‑visibility slot on free‑to‑air television.
In addition to the broadcast issue, the report calls on the government to introduce legislation that would require local councils and housing associations to remove "No Ball Games" signs from public open spaces and residential estates. By reclaiming these areas for play, communities could provide safe, accessible venues where children – particularly girls – can engage in informal sport without restriction. Speaking to Sky Sports about the findings, Dame Caroline highlighted the broader cultural challenges: "We know that people in our nation love sport, but there are simply too many barriers that stop them from getting up and trying it themselves. Whether it’s in schools, clubs or community settings, the obstacles are real and numerous." She noted that many young people, especially girls, begin to disengage from school sport as they reach puberty, with some even missing school entirely on days when sports activities are scheduled.
To counter this trend, the committee has proposed a suite of measures. Some are technical, such as removing the 3 pm blackout for women’s football, while others focus on education and infrastructure. The proposal regarding the blackout suggests that the current restriction – which runs roughly from 2:45 pm to 5:15 pm on Saturdays – be repurposed to showcase women’s football matches on free‑to‑air television. This recommendation echoes the earlier Karen Carney review and has been acknowledged by the Football Association as beneficial for giving the women’s game its own consistent broadcast slot.
Beyond television, the report urges schools to adopt a more inclusive physical education (PE) curriculum that prioritises enjoyment, comfort and a welcoming environment for all pupils. Schools should guarantee that each student participates in at least two hours of high‑quality PE each week, with the aim of ensuring that every child gets at least one hour of physical activity daily.
To achieve this, teachers need better training in delivering inclusive PE, and school uniform and kit policies should be revised to focus on comfort, inclusivity and dignity – changes that would particularly help girls and children with special educational needs (SEND) to feel confident taking part. Dame Caroline also pressed the government to commit to stable, long‑term funding for both school‑based and community sport programmes, improve facilities, and develop a cross‑government strategy aimed at fostering a healthier nation. The committee argues that investing in sport yields social and economic returns, ultimately reducing pressure on health and welfare budgets.
The report highlights that the UK lags behind the average spending of other European nations on sport and recreation. Currently, sport receives just 0.3 % of total government expenditure – roughly £3.8 billion annually.
The committee recommends doubling this share to at least 0.6 % over the next decade, which would raise the budget to about £7.6 billion. Such an increase would support the development of facilities, coaching, and programmes designed to get more people, especially girls, moving. In summary, the CMS Committee’s Game On report calls for a multi‑pronged approach: lift the 3 pm broadcast ban for women’s football, reclaim public spaces for play, revamp school PE to be more inclusive, provide consistent funding, and double government spending on sport.
By removing these structural barriers, the hope is to inspire a new generation of girls to see sport as an accessible, enjoyable, and integral part of their lives. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250 k!
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