Written Evidence Nov. 29 2023
Inquiry: Men's healthFound: IMH0055 - Men's health Football Foundation Written Evidence
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support local football clubs.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
By 2025, we will have invested over £320 million into grassroots football and multi-sport facilities across the UK. Furthermore, as announced in the King’s Speech, the Government will bring forward legislation to establish a new Independent Football Regulator, to ensure that English football is sustainable for the benefit of fans and local communities.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help tackle (a) sexism, (b) misogyny and (c) abuse in football.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There is no place for sexism, misogyny or abuse of any kind in sport, including football, and it is vital that football authorities continue to work together to tackle it.The Government welcomes the ongoing work of the relevant football leagues, the FA, and organisations such as Women in Football and Kick it Out in challenging discrimination and breaking down inequalities between the sexes.
Following a bombardment of abuse directed towards female sports broadcasters, footballers and other athletes on social media, I wrote to X and Meta to understand whether they are aware of any abuse towards women in sport on their services which violates their policies, and, if so, what action they have been taking to address it. Both X and Meta have now responded to my letter setting out the action they are taking including enforcement, reporting processes and safety settings.
We continue to liaise closely with all the police and football authorities about their work to tackle discrimination. This includes actions targeted at and around football grounds, such as improving reporting systems, providing better training and support for referees and stewards, and improving the quality of CCTV around stadia.
Fans can also be charged with a Football Banning Order and fined if found to use derogatory language at football games, with the possibility of more severe sentences if it has been recorded as a hate crime. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been working with the FA, Premier League and English Football League to determine what evidence is required to charge an incident as a hate crime.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the European Court of Justice ruling on the European Super League on the future of English domestic football.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The attempt to create a breakaway European Super League was a defining moment in English football and was universally condemned by fans, clubs, and the Government.
We took decisive action at the time by triggering the fan-led review of football governance, which called for the creation of a new independent regulator for English football.
We will shortly be bringing forward legislation that makes this a reality, establishing an independent regulator that can stop clubs from joining any similar breakaway competitions in the future.
Dec. 04 2023
Source Page: Reframing the opportunity in women’s football: government responseFound: Reframing the opportunity in women’s football: government response
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to include anti-racism teaching in the objectives of the independent regulator for English football.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Regulator’s primary strategic purpose will be to ensure that English football is financially sustainable for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve. This approach was set out in the football governance white paper, the Government’s subsequent consultation response, and the Government’s response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on football governance. As such, the Regulator will focus on the financial sustainability of clubs, the financial resilience of the football pyramid, and safeguarding club heritage. Industry is therefore best placed to lead on such issues, and I continue to engage closely with football authorities on these important topics.
Asked by: Julie Elliott (Labour - Sunderland Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2024 to Question 14282 on Football: Regulation, what her planned timescales are for establishing an independent regulator for football.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is working at pace to establish a new independent regulator on a statutory footing as soon as parliamentary time allows. We are on the side of football fans and the local communities that football clubs serve. We have a clear plan to deliver a sustainable future for football, with fans at its heart.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
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 Football Association on an extension to the football season for junior sides.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Maintenance of grass football pitches is the responsibility of individual clubs in conjunction with the FA. Clubs that play at Step 1 to 6 of the National League System and Tiers 1 to 4 of the Women’s Football Pyramid are eligible to apply for grants through the Premier League Stadium Fund in order to make improvements to their grounds. Administration of the grants is managed by the Football Foundation.
Government is also delivering an historic level of direct investment to build or upgrade thousands of grassroots facilities across the UK. This includes £327 million to provide up to 8,000 new and improved multi-sport grassroots facilities and pitches across the whole of the UK between 2021 and 2025.
The Government recognises the logistical difficulties posed by weather-related postponements, and the consequent fixture congestion caused. This is exacerbated for clubs that have been forced to play their home fixtures at an alternative venue where the surface at their home ground is unplayable. However, the decision of whether or not to extend a football season is one that must be made by the FA as national governing body of the sport.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Football Association’s decision not to allow an extension to the season for junior football on clubs.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Maintenance of grass football pitches is the responsibility of individual clubs in conjunction with the FA. Clubs that play at Step 1 to 6 of the National League System and Tiers 1 to 4 of the Women’s Football Pyramid are eligible to apply for grants through the Premier League Stadium Fund in order to make improvements to their grounds. Administration of the grants is managed by the Football Foundation.
Government is also delivering an historic level of direct investment to build or upgrade thousands of grassroots facilities across the UK. This includes £327 million to provide up to 8,000 new and improved multi-sport grassroots facilities and pitches across the whole of the UK between 2021 and 2025.
The Government recognises the logistical difficulties posed by weather-related postponements, and the consequent fixture congestion caused. This is exacerbated for clubs that have been forced to play their home fixtures at an alternative venue where the surface at their home ground is unplayable. However, the decision of whether or not to extend a football season is one that must be made by the FA as national governing body of the sport.