ABSTRACT
Responsibility for sport and recreation was initially located in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, was later moved to the Department of Education and Science before finding a home for over twenty years in the Department of the Environment. In December 1990, following John Major's appointment as Prime Minister, sport and recreation responsibilities were moved again, back to the Department of Education and Science. On his transfer the Minister took with him the sport and recreation division (SARD) and responsibility for funding the Sports Council. Given that the DOE has the main responsibility for financing local authority expenditure and that local authorities are the main providers of sport and recreation facilities for the general public, the transfer is indeed a curious decision. The impact of the transfer of departmental responsibility on the Sports Council is one of the most important broader implications that needs to be considered.
