PARALYMPIC ELITE SPORT MUST GET FUNDING IN RETURN FOR MEDALS

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 18th Jul 2006

Commenting on the publication of the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts report into UK Sport and the funding of elite athletes, Liberal Democrat Olympics Spokesperson on the London Assembly, Dee Doocey, said:

"Over the last three Games, Britain has won on average five times more medals at the Paralympic than the Olympic Games. But disabled athletes' funding package has never matched their achievement. It is time we stopped taking the Paralympics as some irritating bolt on and invested in what has already proven to be a winning side.

'However this must be new money and not funding already earmarked for local community sports clubs that cater for people with disabilities. We keep hearing that one of the legacies of the Games will be increased sports participation. It is hard to see how this will happen when local sports clubs -and those with disabled facilities in particular- are already seeing their lottery grants diverted to fund the Games.

'The government should put its money where its mouth is and back disabled sport."