<p>Contact Sports</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 3:04 pm on 4 October 2017.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 3:04, 4 October 2017

Welsh Government, as I said, works closely with the national governing bodies of sports and actually they are best placed to understand the specific risk areas within those sports and they do provide their own concussion guidance. Welsh Government, when we’ve provided guidance, has worked closely with those bodies. I would absolutely be evangelical about the importance of encouraging children to find sports that they love and have as many opportunities as possible to try different sports, because we know that people who do physical activity have a 30 per cent lower risk of an early death. I think that in itself is quite a stark figure, as well as the fact, for example, that there’s a 50 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 30 per cent lower risk of falls, if you’re an older person. I think that we can see, clearly, the benefits of physical activity right across the lifespan, so it is important to take an informed and proportionate approach to safety in sport as well.