Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's consultation on the statutory levy on gambling operators, published on 17 October 2023, for what reason the proposed statutory levy rate for remote pools betting was set at 1%.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Higher rates of problem gambling are associated with certain products, particularly those online, compared to most land-based products. We want to take this into account in the design of the statutory levy, as well as the higher operating costs in the land-based sector. Public Health England’s evidence review of gambling-related harms, based on Health Survey data, showed football pools to have a 'problem gambling' rate of 5%, which is higher than the population level which has been at or below 1% for the past 20 years.
The consultation on the design of the statutory levy opened on 17 October and has now closed. Our consultation specifically invited views on the question of levy rates so that the Government has the best available evidence to inform our final policy decisions on the structure of the levy. The Government is carefully considering the evidence received, and we will publish our response to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Premier League on its financial fair play rules; and what assessment she has made as to whether future legislation should include penalties for breaching financial fair play rules.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Premier League’s financial fair play rules are a matter for the Premier League and will not be will not be covered by the Football Regulator, which will have a tightly defined scope around ensuring financial sustainability. The Football Regulator will not involve itself in sporting matters or league rules, recognising the Government’s long standing respect for the autonomy of sport.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the independent regulator should have jurisdiction over (a) breaches alleged by the Guardian by the previous owner of Chelsea Roman Abramovitch and (b) other breaches of the financial fair play rules.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Premier League’s financial fair play rules are a matter for the Premier League and will not be will not be covered by the Football Regulator, which will have a tightly defined scope around ensuring financial sustainability. The Football Regulator will not involve itself in sporting matters or league rules, recognising the Government’s long standing respect for the autonomy of sport.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to give the Football Regulator the (a) powers and (b) resources to regulate clubs to ensure any breaches of financial fair play rules are (i) identified and (ii) punished.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Premier League’s financial fair play rules are a matter for the Premier League and will not be will not be covered by the Football Regulator, which will have a tightly defined scope around ensuring financial sustainability. The Football Regulator will not involve itself in sporting matters or league rules, recognising the Government’s long standing respect for the autonomy of sport.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the Fan Led Review of Football Governance.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government published its response to the recommendations of the Fan Led Review of Football Governance in April 2022 and we recognise the need for football to be reformed to ensure the game’s sustainability in the long term.
We are now taking the time to consider the policy. We remain committed to publishing a White Paper setting out our detailed response to the Fan Led Review in due course.