Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they have for foreign bodies (1) owning, and (2) investing, in football teams in England; and what measures they have in place to safeguard the interests of fans.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The ownership of football clubs is, and has historically been, a matter for the football authorities, not for HM Government.
The tests for ownership of clubs were raised in the report of the Fan-Led Review which recommended stronger tests independently administered by a new independent regulator.
HM Government is considering the recommendations of the Review, including those made on enhancing the existing owners’ and directors’ tests, and working swiftly to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator.
We will issue a formal response to the Fan-Led Review in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the ongoing safe standing trial in English football, what consideration they have given to alternative crowd safety systems such as those that involve pressure monitoring.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) advises HM Government on safety at sports grounds. The SGSA monitors developments in both technology and practice and keeps all of its guidance, including the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide), under review.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in light of Derby County Football Club’s financial situation, what plans they have to increase fan involvement in football governance; and what discussions have they had with the English Football League on (1) whether alleged financial mismanagement at Derby County Football Club could have been avoided, and (2) what the implications of this are for financial governance in football.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government continues to engage on a regular basis with the English Football League and the administrator about Derby County Football Club. The additional financial impacts of COVID 19, to the club and to the wider football sector, were significant. We have supported the football sector throughout the pandemic, from the early return to behind closed doors, to provisions for international players and teams to honour their playing commitments, and more recently supporting mitigation for capacity crowds. Furthermore, we distributed over £25 million to National League clubs through the Sport Survival Package which ensured their survival.
The final report of the Fan Led Review is a thorough and detailed examination of the challenges faced by English football now and in the future. Whilst the Government cannot retrospectively intervene, we intend to improve future outcomes for clubs and their communities. The Government welcomes the findings of the Review and has endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game.
The Government will now consider the detail of all the recommendations, including those made on improving fan engagement and ensuring future financial stability, and work at pace to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Derby County Football Club and other football clubs, and (2) whether the implementation of the recommendations of the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, published on 24 November 2021, could have helped to mitigate the financial difficulties experienced by football clubs during the pandemic.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government continues to engage on a regular basis with the English Football League and the administrator about Derby County Football Club. The additional financial impacts of COVID 19, to the club and to the wider football sector, were significant. We have supported the football sector throughout the pandemic, from the early return to behind closed doors, to provisions for international players and teams to honour their playing commitments, and more recently supporting mitigation for capacity crowds. Furthermore, we distributed over £25 million to National League clubs through the Sport Survival Package which ensured their survival.
The final report of the Fan Led Review is a thorough and detailed examination of the challenges faced by English football now and in the future. Whilst the Government cannot retrospectively intervene, we intend to improve future outcomes for clubs and their communities. The Government welcomes the findings of the Review and has endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game.
The Government will now consider the detail of all the recommendations, including those made on improving fan engagement and ensuring future financial stability, and work at pace to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent survey by the Tourism Alliance which found 41 per cent of tourism businesses think they are “quite likely to fail”; and what steps they are taking in response to protect the travel industry.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Tourism Alliance is a member of the Tourism Industry Council, a collaboration between the Government and the tourism industry focusing on improving the tourism sector and the visitor economy as a whole.
The Government is committed to the full recovery of tourism businesses in the UK, and published the Tourism Recovery Plan in June 2021 to outline a clear roadmap for the industry’s recovery.
In addition to the commitments made in this plan, HM Treasury announced in the October Budget a new temporary business-rates relief in England for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties for 2022–23, worth almost £1.7 billion. We have also continued a reduced VAT rate, which will remain at 12.5% until 31 March 2022, to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate.
In response to the Omicron variant, in December 2021 the Government announced a further £1 billion worth of support for businesses in the tourism industry. This included a new grant scheme (up to £6,000 per premises), the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme, and further funding released through the Culture Recovery Fund. There is also more than £100 million of discretionary funding available for local authorities to support other businesses.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take, alongside sporting bodies and associations, to tackle racism in cricket.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Racism has no place in cricket, sport, or wider society. The Government is committed to ensuring that sports bodies do all they can to tackle racism and all forms of discrimination.
In December 2021 DCMS’s arm’s-length bodies UK Sport and Sport England published an updated version of the Code for Sport Governance. As part of this, sports at Tier Three of the Code are required to publish an annual diversity and inclusion action plan with Sport England and/or UK Sport.
Sport England, UK Sport, and the other sports councils across the UK also published the results of a detailed, independent review into tackling racism and racial inequality in sport. In December 2021, the five Sports Councils released a joint update outlining the current actions being taken to address the commitments.
The Government welcomes the recent developments from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC). We will continue to monitor their actions, including the implementation of the ECB’s new plan for diversity and inclusion and YCCC’s pledge to work with it on a game-wide diversity and inclusion action plan.
The Government will continue to liaise with the cricket authorities on tackling racism and hold them to account on this. We reserve the right to take further measures if necessary.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about the future of Derby County Football Club; what assessment they have made, if any, of allegations of financial mismanagement at that club; and what assessment they have made of the impact, if any, on the (1) players, (2) coaches, and (3) fans.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government continues to engage closely with the English Football League (EFL) about Derby County Football Club. It is for the EFL, the administrator, and the club to resolve issues to ensure the survival of Derby County FC, but the Government has urged pragmatism from all parties to find a solution for the benefit of fans, staff, and the community that the club serves. The EFL must preserve the integrity of the league on behalf of all member clubs, but all parties want to see one of the founding members of the Football League continue this season and beyond under appropriate ownership.
The Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, commissioned by the Government, made proposals directly addressing how to prevent clubs ending up in such difficult financial situations. We have endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review: that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game. The Government is now working swiftly to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, alongside sporting bodies and associations, to combat sexism in sport.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There is no place for sexism in sport. It is vital that sports bodies continue to work together to tackle it – and, indeed, discrimination of any kind.
The Government is committed to ensuring that sport is inclusive and free from discrimination. Recent changes to the Code for Sports Governance mean that all sport organisations receiving public funding from either UK Sport or Sport England (including national governing bodies) are now required to develop a detailed and ambitious diversity and inclusion action plan. These plans should set out how they intend to improve diversity and inclusion across the whole of their organisation, not just at board level. The Code also now requires each funded sport to appoint a board member to lead on welfare and safety across the organisation.
We have also established a working group on women’s sport, which the Minister for Sport chairs, to explore the challenges and opportunities in women’s sport, and meetings have focused on participation, visibility, and commercial investment. The Government also welcomes the work of organisations such as Women in Sport and Women in Football in challenging discrimination and breaking down inequalities between the sexes.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review financial support provided to lower tier football clubs following the COVID-19 pandemic, including support to football club community projects.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Football clubs form a vital part of their local communities, which is why the Government has provided significant support to lower tier clubs throughout the pandemic.
Many football clubs have benefited from the Government’s multi-billion pound package of cross-sector business support whilst Sport England has provided £220 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic, via a range of funds including their £35 million Community Emergency Fund. The Government has also provided over £24 million of support to non-league clubs from the Sport Survival Package.
The Government will continue to support local football clubs through its £18 million annual investment via the Football Foundation, alongside The Football Association and the Premier League, into football facilities. This three-way partnership sees £70 million of investment into community facilities every year.
At Budget, the Chancellor also announced that the Government will provide an additional £25 million to support the growth of grassroots football, which will be enough to build up to 700 new pitches across the UK.
The Government will continue to examine ways to support lower tier clubs as we emerge from the pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Pendry (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase funding to alleviate loneliness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has provided £23 million to over 1100 charities who undertake activities that tackle loneliness. This has been awarded as part of the government’s £750 million charity funding package. The funding has supported national charities, including MIND, Sense, the English Football League Trust and also local organisations tackling loneliness through community-based interventions.
We will launch a further £4 million fund shortly, together with the National Lottery Community Fund, targeted at small local charities and grassroots groups. There will be two application rounds next year, with local groups able to apply for up to £2 500 each through this fund.