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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason a maximum of 300 spectators are allowed to attend football matches at Step 7 of the pyramid but not in steps 5 and 6 during the covid-19 outbreak.

The safety and security of players and spectators is of paramount importance.

On Tuesday 22 September it was announced that all sports pilot events currently ongoing would be paused with immediate effect, due to the sharp upward trajectory of Covid-19 cases. As set out in our Roadmap, sports events pilots, and the full return of fans to stadia would only ever take place when it was safe to do so.

Under government guidance non-elite sport clubs are able to admit spectators, whilst adhering to COVID-19 guidance. It is up to the respective governing bodies to determine what constitutes the boundary between elite and non-elite within their sports, and consider any appropriate additional regulation including total spectator numbers should that be appropriate within their sport.