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Written Question
Future of Women's Football Review
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Birkenhead)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many times (a) she and (b) officials from her Department have had discussions with the Chair of the Future of Women's Football Review since the Chair's appointment.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

This Government is a staunch supporter of women’s football and the Future of Women’s Football Review is the next step in driving forward momentum for women’s football in this country.

Officials from the Department form the secretariat of the Review alongside the FA. Officials are in near daily contact with the Chair of the Review, and speak at least twice weekly with the Chair to discuss progress and analyse evidence. To date officials have collaborated with the Chair on nine individual stakeholder evidence sessions, a roundtable with Women’s Super League Clubs, and a roundtable with Women’s Championship Clubs. Officials will work with the Chair on a further eight stakeholder roundtables covering the key themes of the review over the next two weeks.

Ministerial engagement will take place in tandem with planned stakeholder roundtables over the coming weeks. The results of the Review will be published in the Chair’s final report, which will be published in spring 2023.

Written Question
Football: Females
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Birkenhead)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to increase support to women's football, following the success of the lionesses at Euro 2022 and the open letter the Lionesses wrote to the Prime Minister in August 2022.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

We are determined to support more women and girls to get active and football is the most popular team sport in terms of participation for women and girls.

The Lionesses’ fantastic performance at the 2022 Women’s Euros has truly inspired the nation with a record breaking crowd of over 87,000 attending the final and 23.3m UK viewers tuning into the BBC’s coverage. It is essential that we take the opportunity to capitalise on and build on the success and legacy of the tournament and the team to secure a long lasting and sustainable future for the women’s game.

To raise the profile of facilities in the UK, and to commemorate the Lionesses, the Football Foundation is working with facility owners to name pitches/facilities in towns and cities that have a strong link to each tournament winning squad member. We will also continue to invest in grassroots sport to bring on the next generation of Lionesses and continue to work with the Department for Education to ensure girls have equal access to sports. The Prime Minister and the DCMS Secretary of State were delighted to meet the Lionesses earlier this month who are extraordinary ambassadors for sport. They reconfirmed their commitment to reviewing the barriers to girls accessing two hours of PE.

The recently announced Women’s Football Review will look at how to deliver bold and sustainable growth of the women’s game at elite and grassroots level. We would encourage all interested stakeholders and organisations to come forward and contribute views to Karen Carney’s review. It is vital that we hear from a variety of voices across the game.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 25 Apr 2022
Football Governance

"The only thing better than working on this fan-led review of football with the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch) is being on the football pitch with her. She has been brilliant, as I am sure we all agree.

I know you will be concerned, Madam Deputy Speaker, …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Football Governance
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 26 Jan 2022
Women’s Football

"I will be brief, Mr Twigg. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland Central (Julie Elliott) for obtaining this debate. She is an incredible champion for women’s sport in general and football in particular; and, Mr Twigg, nobody could be more perfect to chair the debate …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Women’s Football
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 18 Nov 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"Mr Speaker, you and I both support major sporting events coming to the UK, but I want to return briefly to the situation in cricket. The lesson for all sports is that those who fail to deal with cultures of racism and prejudice will ruin our country’s reputation, not build …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Wed 17 Nov 2021
Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Bill

"It is, as others have said, a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Hosie. I commend the right hon. Member for Central Devon for bringing the Bill forward. It is limited in scope and effect. It extends existing powers, and we had a good discussion on Second Reading about …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 16 Sep 2021
Oral Answers to Questions

"We welcome all the new Ministers, but I want to be clear on this issue: the Minister said in response to those questions that extensive efforts are being made, yet on 4 August when the Department published a statement describing the situation, the industry was clear that nothing has changed. …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in General Committees - Tue 14 Sep 2021
Draft Introduction and the Import of Cultural Goods (Revocation) Regulations 2021

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Hosie.

I thank the Minister for her opening remarks, which explained the delegated legislation’s context. To many, it may seem that this is a niche subject, but the Minister and I believe that despite that, it is very, very important. …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Draft Introduction and the Import of Cultural Goods (Revocation) Regulations 2021
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 10 Sep 2021
Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Bill

"I commend the right hon. Member for Central Devon (Mel Stride) for bringing this Bill to the House. It might be easy to think of it as somewhat narrow and potentially even niche, but we often underestimate the role that public collections in this country play in communicating our history, …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 09 Sep 2021
Legacy of Jo Cox

"It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Tom Tugendhat). It is also very appropriate, as will become clear when I continue with my speech, but before I get to those points, let me thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark …..."
Alison McGovern - View Speech

View all Alison McGovern (Lab - Birkenhead) contributions to the debate on: Legacy of Jo Cox