The Government will on Wednesday be urged to seize "a unique opportunity" to tackle a crisis of inactivity by launching a national 'work out to help out' scheme with the £1.8 billion in returned supermarket rates relief.

Dame Sally Davies, the former chief medical officer, has identified the poor state of public health - and notably obesity - as a key factor in the high death rate from Covid-19, but activity levels have plummeted during the pandemic and hundreds of public leisure facilities risk permanent closure.

Industry leaders will give parliamentary evidence on Wednesday afternoon and are putting forward a national plan that would include launching a physical activity version of the Government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme. They will propose using the mass vaccination programme, which will involve leisure centres and large gyms for people to receive their jabs, to also engage people with physical activity.

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