Opening the hearings, Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stressed the importance of bringing up an active and healthy young generation in Ukraine.
He reminded that the applicable laws envisage the obligatory annual recreation of 50 per cent of children of school age, 100 per cent of orphans and 70 per cent of children from the low-income families. However, these figures do not meet the requirements, as the number of children subject to recreation services has been rapidly falling since the year 2005.
The Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stated that according to figures from a recent opinion poll, most young people under 18 are consuming alcohol, while according to the State Youth and Sport Department, not even 10% of young people can swim.
M.Tomenko drew attention to the numerous issues arising by children recreation in health resorts and health camps. Most of the recreation establishments fail to meet the legislative standards.
The Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine addressed the government members and the representatives of the local authorities with a request to discuss the issues connected with implementation of the Law on restriction of sale and consumption of beer and low-alcoholic beverages that prohibits consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places, such as children playgrounds, parks, sports grounds, beaches, etc. Apart from the central and local authorities, mass media also play a key role in setting a trend for a healthy lifestyle. He called on the media to promote an active, healthy lifestyle instead of a ‘beer-consuming´ one.
Dmytro Tabachnyk, Minister of Education and Science, Youth and Sports of Ukraine, stated that the scope of recreation services had not changed for the past 20 years. It includes food and lodging, and various recreation programs.
D. Tabachnyk stressed that more than 17,5 thousand establishments for children had rendered recreation services in summer 2010.
The Minister drew attention to the work of recreation establishments. Last year, there were 16 826 recreation facilities, including 329 establishments of labour and recreation, 525 camp sites, and 15 972 day camps.
According to the participants of the hearings, 54,8 % of children of school age were provided with recreation services in summer 2010 owing to the central and local authorities, and local self-government bodies.
The speakers stressed that adoption of the Law "On Children Recreation" became a great stride towards formation of a complex system of children recreation, provision of children´s rights for recreation, and arrangement of appropriate conditions.
Operation of recreation establishments also raises numerous urgent issues to be settled at the state level, such as support of children recreation establishments by land use and public utility services relief, local taxes and duties exemption, privileges in the registration of documents of entitlement for the land plots.
Another important factor of high-quality recreation of children is a sufficient, timely financial support out of the state and local budgets, the Fund of Social Insurance against Temporary Disability, and extra-budgetary resources.
Adjourning the hearings, P.Kostenko, Chairman of the subject parliamentary Committee, assured the attendants that the Committee would take into account all the motions mentioned.