Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby and the police on the adequacy of current hate crime reporting mechanisms within professional and grassroots rugby.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has not held specific meetings with the rugby authorities on homophobic abuse. However, we work closely with the police and the College of Policing to promote consistent approaches to tackling hate crime, including accessible reporting and effective recording practices.

The police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s operational guidance to respond to hate crime. We expect the police to record and investigate offences motivated by hatred or hostility, and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice where criminal thresholds are met.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby and the police regarding the recording and prosecution of homophobic abuse at rugby matches.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has not held specific meetings with the rugby authorities on homophobic abuse. However, we work closely with the police and the College of Policing to promote consistent approaches to tackling hate crime, including accessible reporting and effective recording practices.

The police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s operational guidance to respond to hate crime. We expect the police to record and investigate offences motivated by hatred or hostility, and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice where criminal thresholds are met.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how does the Government plan to support the development of inclusive frameworks that respect both participation rights and competitive fairness for the LGBTQ+ community in rugby union.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.

The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.

Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.

Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that UK Sport and Sport England's funding conditions require the Rugby Football Union and other rugby governing bodies to (a) demonstrate measurable progress in tackling homophobia and (b) creating inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ players, fans and staff.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.

The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.

Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.

Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what engagement the Government Equalities Office has had with rugby governing bodies regarding their inclusion policies for transgender and non-binary players.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.

The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.

Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.

Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on ensuring that rugby programmes and school competitions are inclusive of LGBTQ+ pupils.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to address reports of homophobic bullying and exclusionary cultures in school and youth rugby.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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