Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to introduce a shadow non-statutory independent football regulator.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We are actively exploring the extent to which preparatory work can be done ahead of the Regulator being established in law, which could take the form of a shadow non-statutory body. This is being considered and a decision will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper entitled A sustainable future - reforming club football governance, published on 23 February 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the establishment of a shadow board of fans as a condition of the football club licensing process.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The football governance white paper set out how we will put fans back at the heart of football.
The Independent Football Regulator will introduce strong new legal protections to safeguard the heritage of clubs and ensure fans’ voices are heard. Clubs will not be able to make changes to their badge or home shirt colours without explicit fan approval. The Government has worked with the FA to ensure these protections are in place now, and the Regulator will act as a statutory backstop to ensure this cannot change.
The Regulator must approve any proposal to move or sell the stadium, and must consider the views of fans and impact on club heritage where a relocation is sought. Clubs can only participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.
This will provide fans with irreversible, strong legal protections to prevent damage to the most important aspects of their clubs.
The Government is committed to delivering on the Football Governance White Paper and will legislate where parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper entitled A sustainable future - reforming club football governance, published on 23 February 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring fans to be given a golden share as a condition of the football club licensing process.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The football governance white paper set out how we will put fans back at the heart of football.
The Independent Football Regulator will introduce strong new legal protections to safeguard the heritage of clubs and ensure fans’ voices are heard. Clubs will not be able to make changes to their badge or home shirt colours without explicit fan approval. The Government has worked with the FA to ensure these protections are in place now, and the Regulator will act as a statutory backstop to ensure this cannot change.
The Regulator must approve any proposal to move or sell the stadium, and must consider the views of fans and impact on club heritage where a relocation is sought. Clubs can only participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.
This will provide fans with irreversible, strong legal protections to prevent damage to the most important aspects of their clubs.
The Government is committed to delivering on the Football Governance White Paper and will legislate where parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the prevalence of degenerative brain conditions in former rugby union players.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is paramount. My department is committed to working alongside the Department for Health and Social Care on issues relating to head injuries in sport, and have ongoing official level engagement on this issue.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has worked with sporting bodies and others to develop a single set of shared concussion guidelines for grassroots sport across the UK, which were published on 28 April 2023. We continue to encourage sports governing bodies to adapt the guidelines to their own sport where appropriate.
Further research on the links between health, dementia and contact sport is needed to better understand the issue. My department has established a new Sports Concussion Research Forum to identify key research questions that need answering in this important area.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper entitled A sustainable future - reforming club football governance, published on 23 February 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring an equality, diversity and inclusion action plan as a condition of the football club licensing process.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government supports calls for further action to be taken on a range of issues in the domestic game, including equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome the industry’s ongoing efforts to improve transparency and its commitment to provide equity and fair opportunities for all. Since the publication of the Fan-Led Review, the football leagues and the FA have introduced enhanced equality requirements for football clubs.
The Government acknowledges that there is still more progress to be made and will continue to work with the leagues, the FA, and other organisations to encourage reform where appropriate.
However, as set out in the White Paper and the government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee consultation, the primary strategic purpose of the Regulator will be to ensure that English football is sustainable and resilient for the benefit of fans and the local communities that football clubs serve. As such, the Regulator will focus on the financial sustainability of clubs, the systemic stability of the football pyramid and protecting club heritage.
Action on wider issues, including equality, diversity and inclusion, is best led by industry.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women’s football.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
It has been well documented that female football players are around three times more likely to suffer an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury than their male counterparts.
The Review of Women’s Football, published in July this year, examined the strategic priorities for the development of women's football and made recommendations on the future direction of the women's game. It highlighted the lack of sport exercise and scientific research which currently exists in women’s sport and that only 6% of sport exercise and science research involves only women. This lack of awareness means female athletes are often not being given the protection, expertise and support they need.
The Government has been speaking to the football authorities on all matters within the review, and is due to respond to the review in the autumn. We will address ACL injuries directly in that response, holding relevant stakeholders to account for action around player welfare.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of removing the cap on charity lottery sales.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government recognises the importance of society lotteries as a fundraising tool for charities and other organisations. Society lotteries are a vital source of funds for these organisations, raising over £400 million a year.
In 2020, we legislated to raise the annual sales limit for large society lotteries from £10 million to £50 million. Each organisation with a society lottery licence is therefore able to sell up to £50 million of tickets per year. Most society lottery operators have sales well within this annual limit, meaning there is plenty of scope for them to continue to grow.
The limits were reviewed 12 months after the reforms implemented in 2020, which concluded it was too soon to reach any firm view on its impact, and that more data on the growth of the sector is needed before considering any further changes.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Ofcom on tackling the use of sexist and misogynistic language in broadcast news.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code sets out rules to ensure that broadcast material which contains abusive or derogatory treatment of individuals or groups must not be included except where it is justified by the context.
As the UK’s independent regulator, it is for Ofcom to determine whether there has been a breach of the Broadcasting Code, and whether to take action. In making any decision, Ofcom is required by the Communications Act 2003 to strike a balance between ensuring an appropriate level of freedom of expression and adequate protection from harmful material.
Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Ofcom on a range of issues, but it is for Ofcom to determine any breaches of the Broadcasting Code.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 89 of the policy paper entitled A sustainable future - reforming club football governance, what recent discussions her Department has had with stakeholders on the potential merits of conducting (a) trials for alcohol sales in sight of the pitch for clubs in the National League and League Two and (b) a review of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We recognise the need to balance the potential commercial benefits of alcohol sales in the lower leagues with concerns around safety and disorder. We will keep this matter under review in conjunction with the Home Office.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley South)
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 Gambling Commission on whether it plans to release the results of its 2021 call for evidence on affordability checks.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Following the Government’s publication of the white paper on gambling earlier this year, the Gambling Commission has been consulting on a series of proposed changes to requirements on gambling businesses, including on financial vulnerability checks and financial risk assessments. We understand that the Gambling Commission will publish information about both the call for evidence and the current consultation as part of their formal consultation response.