Sport England has defended its plans to spend around £6m on research into activity trends across the country.

An article in The Times newspaper said that some senior politicians had criticised the quango for wasting money on the nationwide survey of participation.

Called Active People, the study will involve the monitoring of more than 350,000 people – making it one of the biggest surveys of its kind.

However, some politicians, including Kate Hoey – the co-author of the recently-published report, Raising the Bar, which called for the abolition of Sport England – have labelled the project a waste of lottery money.

Don Foster, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for sport added: “We need fewer statistics and more action; this money could have paid for more than 100 football pitches.”

A spokesperson for Sport England said the study was necessary to target investment: “Over the next three years Sport England will invest almost £1bn in sport and the cost of the survey must be seen in proportion.

“Existing data from the General Household Survey and other surveys does not provide an accurate picture. Failure to target or monitor the effectiveness of our investment would be irresponsible.”