As an example of dodgy government statistics, the Taking Part Survey* by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport takes some beating. In an effort to prove their success at encouraging participation, they’ve come up with some gems of creative terminology:
- ‘Attending an art event’ stretches to seeing “street arts (art in everyday surroundings like parks, streets or shopping centres)".
- 'Visiting a historic site is as easy as going to “a city or town with historic character".
- It counts as using a public library if one “used a computer outside the library to view the website".
- The most popular way for Britons to participate in an arts activity in 2007 was by “buying original/handmade crafts".
- The list of “active sports" includes snooker.
Shameless.
*Technical Note PSA21: Indicator 6", “annual data 2006/07", “Final assessment of progress on PSA3: complete estimates from year three, 2007/08." All published since May 2008.
