Oral Answers to Questions

Luke Evans Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock]

My hon. Friend is right to point out how important they are to local communities. We have the places of worship renewal fund, which I have just spoken about. In addition, the Government have made available £230 million for heritage. Further, we have the National Lottery Heritage Fund and I also encourage him to engage with the Church of England.

[Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) (Con)]

6. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Independent Football Regulator.

[The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

The Independent Football Regulator is empowering fans and protecting clubs from unsuitable owners. In the 12 months since we appointed the football regulator, he has published the “State of the Game” report, which is an unprecedented assessment of football finances, and the biggest ever undertaken. He is involved in highly complex negotiations across the football pyramid. He has also been involved in meeting fans from a number of clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe, when problems have arisen.

[Dr Evans]

The Labour donor and chair of the Independent Football Regulator has said that if Manchester City were to sue the regulator, the regulator would need to come to the Government to get more money. Given the interest that the Prime Minister has specified about Man City and his opinion on that, how much money have the Government put aside just in case Man City sue the regulator?

[Lisa Nandy]

We have been clear from the outset that these are very serious allegations. Manchester City must have the right to a fair process, because it strongly refutes the allegations, but that is a matter for the Premier League. Its independent body will come to a determination about that—at which point, if the allegations are upheld, we will obviously all want to see action taken—but the process has to be allowed to run its course. I would just gently say to the hon. Gentleman that I am old enough to remember when he was putting out press releases welcoming the Independent Football Regulator, at a time when his Government were in power and intended to proceed with it, and when his Government had put the football regulator we later appointed on to the long list. If he thinks he is such a crony, he needs to ask why his Government decided to put him on the long list for the appointment in the first place.