Sport England: Equality Act 2010

Baroness Ludford Excerpts

Monday 19th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The noble Lord is entirely correct that there are some really positive examples of inclusivity in this space. It is for sports bodies to determine the specific policies for all levels of their sports, recognising the need to protect fairness and safety, alongside ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate. The EHRC, as I have already mentioned, will be launching a consultation on its revised code of practice shortly.

[Baroness Ludford (LD)]

My Lords, in 2022, Women in Sport found that more than four in 10 girls who took part in sport in primary school disengaged from sport as teenagers. It is believed that one factor is having male-bodied competitors against them. Some were deterred for reasons of safety and fairness, while others were deterred maybe for religious reasons. Once the Government have secured respect for the Supreme Court ruling in sport, as I hope they will, how will they encourage women and girls to participate in sport again?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

It is really important that we do not tangle up different issues. We want everyone to be able to participate in sport in a way that ensures they feel safe. One of the ways we can do this is by ensuring that young women feel confident about their bodies—a lot of young women do not feel confident about their bodies when they are teenagers. I am keen that we do not tangle up different issues. I am happy to talk to the noble Baroness about this at greater length, should she wish.