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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2022 to Question 26040 on Cricket: Ethnic Groups, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the performance of the England and Wales Cricket Board to increase the number of ethnic minority cricket officials in (a) England and (b) Wales.

The national governing body for cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) assesses trends in representation in the sport. This includes the level of representation of cricket officials from ethnic minorities.

The ECB have acknowledged there remains an under-representation of Black and South Asian heritage officials despite an increase in the proportion of umpires from ethnically diverse backgrounds on the National Panel last year. Following an independent Officiating Review in 2021, the ECB have committed to four ambitions focusing on equity of opportunity, inspiring the next generation, developing a diverse network that reflects society and promoting a culture of inclusivity and fairness.

The ECB continues to work on developing an officiating structure in which there is equality of opportunity for all. In the recreational game, applications will soon be invited for umpire tutors to deliver a new ECB umpiring course. The aim is to recruit and train a more diverse workforce. On 8 December 2022 the ECB also published updates to their game-wide action plan to tackle discrimination and their Equity, Diversity and Inculsion plan.

The updated Code for Sports Governance requires sports organisations that receive significant public funding, including the ECB, to agree a diversity and inclusion action plan with Sport England and/or UK Sport, which will be published and updated annually. The Government and our arm’s length bodies will continue to monitor and liaise with the cricket authorities on improving diversity and inclusion at all levels.