Speaking at the Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) annual conference yesterday, chief executive Brigid Simmonds said she was "very disappointed" that culture secretary James Purnell had pulled out of the event, at which he was due to make a keynote speech.

Speaking to 250 delegates at the conference, entitled Active Change, Simmonds said DCMS had not given a reason why Purnell could not attend.

"This is a major industry event and it was a great pity that James Purnell wasn't here, particularly considering the support BISL gives to DCMS," said Simmonds. "People thought it was bad manners."

Other speakers echoed Simmonds' comments. Keynote speaker Ian Burke, chief executive of the Rank Group and a BISL director, said he was disappointed with the government's lack of support for the bingo industry: "We have a labour government intent on driving bingo out of business with an inequitable form of taxation. The decision to restrict bingo clubs to just four jackpot machines, and to remove section 21 machines, is damaging their viability."

Dr Susan Jebb, head of nutrition and health research at the Medical Research Council, called for more joined up thinking by the government in order to tackle the obesity epidemic.

The conference focused on four main themes: the leisure and sports economy, the implementation of the Gambling Act, climate change and obesity.