Investing in sport can help boost quality of life in Britain, the culture secretary has said.

Tessa Jowell told conference delegates that the government would support sports' governing bodies as long as they "modernised" and supported the government's social objectives.

She said the government was taking a more strategic approach to supporting sport in the UK, but called for more reform.

"There are too many governing bodies of sport - over 400 for the 100 organised sports in the UK.

"Too many are inefficient and ineffective. They hinder rather than help the capacity for sport to improve."

She praised some sports such as football and cycling which she said were trying to "reach out to the whole community".

And Jowell said governing bodies had to prove to the government that they were inclusive, transparent and able to deliver in order to benefit from extra public investment.

"We're putting record amounts of money into sport. But we want it spent on the field and in the sports hall, not in the committee room," she said.

The minister said her policy was rooted in a belief in the social benefits of sport.

She said it was good for health and education, as well as helping to keep young people away from a life of crime.