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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps he has taken to support women’s sport through the covid-19 outbreak.

I am committed to helping women’s sport come out of the current crisis stronger than ever and I am continuing to work closely with the sector to ensure that happens. Over the last year I have met with a range of sports organisations to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on women’s sport and how together we can address these challenges going forward. I have made clear in these discussions that I expect women’s sport to be protected through the pandemic and prioritised as we emerge on the other side.

Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many women’s sport clubs have benefited from. For example, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has provided £220m directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. Women’s spectator sports severely impacted by the restrictions around fans over the winter are also being supported through the £300m Sports Winter Survival Package, which aims to protect the immediate futures of major spectator sports in England over the winter period.