Sporting Events Bill [HL]

Lord Ashcombe Excerpts

3rd reading
Tuesday 21st July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ashcombe (Con)]

My Lords, the more astute among your Lordships will have realised that this is the first time I have taken part on this Bill. I do so because, unfortunately, my noble friends Lord Markham and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, who led from these Benches on the Bill, cannot be here today. They both send their apologies. It therefore falls upon me to respond on behalf of His Majesty’s Official Opposition today.

We have broadly welcomed this legislation while highlighting a few areas where we have concerns and others where we have seen room for improvement. The noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, said at Second Reading that she wished the Government would be bolder, as noted just now by the noble Lord, Lord Addington, with the scope of the sporting events framework. While the Government have not yet fully taken her advice, it is welcome that your Lordships’ House has done so by adopting the amendments tabled by my noble friend Lady Evans of Bowes Park and the noble Lord, Lord Addington. The changes we made here last week strengthen the Bill and will, if the Government follow through on their promise to continue the debates we have had about them in good faith, enable many of the most well-loved sporting events in this country to benefit from this legislation. I hope that when the Bill goes to another place, the new Government will agree with the amendments made here or, if they wish to make some modest changes to them, will keep them in both spirit and substance.

I want to record our thanks to a number of noble Lords who have made this such a constructive process. My noble friends Lady Evans of Bowes Park, Lord Moynihan and Lord Fuller, the noble Lord, Lord Addington, and the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, brought their considerable experience and expertise to the Bill’s proceedings. I also thank the Minister, all the officials and the Bill team who have supported her for their willingness to meet noble Lords across your Lordships’ House throughout the passage of the Bill. I know that noble Lords found their discussions genuinely useful, and I am grateful that some of the concerns raised by the Opposition and others were listened to. This is a Bill that we hope will boost the ability of the United Kingdom to host major sporting events. It leaves this House in a better state than when it was introduced, and I hope it moves through another place in the same spirit.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lords.