Lord Triesman, a Minister at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills but increasingly adopting a high-profile role as chairman of the FA, a role he took over last month, is one of 15 MPs and members of the House of Lordsgiven the opportunity to spend seven days each with some of the nation’s sporting organisations to promote better understanding between the worlds of sport and politics during the build-up to the 2012 Olympics.

 

The FA and UK Athletics currently have very different problems.

 

While the FA are grappling with the proposal by the Premiership to play a round of matches abroad, UK Athletics are trying to deal with the fall-out of the return to the sport of drugs-cheat Dwain Chambers.

The purpose of the scheme is to give MPs and Peers a unique insight into their chosen sport, from grass-roots right up to competition level.

 

The scheme is a cross-party initiative sponsored in Parliament by Derek Wyatt, Shadow Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson and Bob Russell.

Sporting organisations taking part this time round include the FA, the Lawn Tennis Association and the Rugby Football League.

 

Each sporting organisation is required to host their Parliamentarians for seven days.

 

In return, representatives of the sporting organisations are invited to spend three days with their sponsoring MP or Peer in Parliament.

Wyatt, a former England rugby international who is going to work with Alan Pascoe's company Fast Track, said: "This is a great way of ensuring sport remains a key focus within the walls of Westminster.

 

"We are looking to make the Scheme better than ever before, and I am delighted so many of my Parliamentary colleagues have signed up to take part”.

Robertson, who was twinned with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) during phase one of the scheme last year, said:  “My Parliamentary Sports Fellowship with the ECB provided an unrivalled opportunity to see every aspect of the way that cricket is run in this country.

 

"The ECB's willingness to open their doors made it a huge success.

 

"My abiding memory will be the days spent with Chance to Shine - cricket's grassroots programme to reintroduce the game in state schools.

 

"The excitement and enjoyment evident in the faces of the children taking part was the most vivid example possible of why sport is so important to the lives of all young people"

Russell, who is being twinned with the Youth Sport Trust in phase two of the scheme, said: “The Parliamentary Sports Fellowship Scheme is a wonderful concept, and can only lead to a better understanding between sport in the widest sense and the political scene.

 

"Both, I am sure, will benefit from this arrangement.

 

"I am looking forward to my involvement with youth sport. As a country, we have got to do a lot more to promote sport and general healthy living amongst our young people.

 

"I am confident that my involvement in the Sports Fellowship will assist in this general aim."

Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, said: “Sport should be fun and life-enhancing.

 

"But it also needs to be taken seriously by decision makers and opinion formers.

 

"The Sport England Parliamentary Sports Fellowship Scheme seeks to provide Parliamentarians with an enjoyable – and informative – insight into the world of professional, amateur and grass-roots sport."

 

MPs and Peers taking part in the Scheme this year (and their sporting organisations) are listed below:

 

· Peter Bottomley - British Canoe Union

· Jeremy Browne - England and Wales  Cricket Board

 · Rosie Cooper  - Lawn Tennis Association 

· Philip Davies  - Football Association 

· Nigel Evans  - Amateur Rowing Association           

· Roger Gale - Amateur Swimming Association

 · Andrew George - British Cycling

 · Barbara Keeley  - Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation

 · Mark Lancaster  - Rugby Football Union

 · Humfrey Malins  - England Golf Partnership 

· Bob Russell  - Youth Sport Trust

 · Angela C Smith  - British Mountaineering Council

 · Helen Southworth  - Rugby Football League

 · Lord Triesman - UK Athletics

  · Baroness Verma - Football Foundation

  · Derek Wyatt  - Fast Track