Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the ending of the statute on limitations this year for testing samples collected at the London Olympic Games in 2012, (1) how many anti-doping violations were found from retested samples collected in London; (2) what percentage of the urine samples collected at the London Olympic Games were re-analysed; and (3) which Olympic champions and medallists were stripped of their medals.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government does not hold the data to answer this question. The samples collected during the London Olympic Games in 2012 were done so under the jurisdiction of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), rather than UK Anti-Doping (the UK’s national anti-doping organisation). As LOCOG no longer exists, it is therefore the IOC that has the ability to reanalyse the samples collected at the Games. UK Anti-Doping has welcomed the reanalysis of samples from previous Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the need to prioritise elite athletes to receive the covid-19 vaccine in the context of (a) the Olympic Games and (b) other world wide sporting events in 2021.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government’s vaccines portfolio ensures we have the best chance of accessing a safe and effective vaccine for people in the UK as soon as one becomes available. We are also working on deployment plans in the event that a safe, effective vaccine is discovered.
We are vigorously pursuing efforts on vaccines, therapeutics and mass testing to return conditions to normal as soon as possible. In terms of a vaccine, there are several encouraging trials but it is likely to be well into 2021 until one can be widely deployed. Our strategy will continue to be shaped by the work of our brilliant scientists.
We know this is a challenging period for all sports and the Government remains committed to supporting our elite athletes. Olympic and Paralympic sport is not immune from the impact of Covid-19 and we will continue to work with UK Sport and other sports bodies in ensuring that our elite athletes are well supported in this difficult period to ensure that Team GB and ParalympicsGB are ready for the Tokyo Games and other world wide sporting events when they do take place in 2021.
The English Institute of Sport’s world-class support for our athletes has been maintained during the current epidemic. Team GB’s historic medal haul in Rio was an amazing achievement and our athletes made the country incredibly proud. I am confident that this success will continue through to Tokyo next summer.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect a covid-19 vaccine will have on the (a) performance elite athletes and (b) their preparations for International competitions in 2021.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government’s vaccines portfolio ensures we have the best chance of accessing a safe and effective vaccine for people in the UK as soon as one becomes available. We are also working on deployment plans in the event that a safe, effective vaccine is discovered.
We are vigorously pursuing efforts on vaccines, therapeutics and mass testing to return conditions to normal as soon as possible. In terms of a vaccine, there are several encouraging trials but it is likely to be well into 2021 until one can be widely deployed. Our strategy will continue to be shaped by the work of our brilliant scientists.
We know this is a challenging period for all sports and the Government remains committed to supporting our elite athletes. Olympic and Paralympic sport is not immune from the impact of Covid-19 and we will continue to work with UK Sport and other sports bodies in ensuring that our elite athletes are well supported in this difficult period to ensure that Team GB and ParalympicsGB are ready for the Tokyo Games and other world wide sporting events when they do take place in 2021.
The English Institute of Sport’s world-class support for our athletes has been maintained during the current epidemic. Team GB’s historic medal haul in Rio was an amazing achievement and our athletes made the country incredibly proud. I am confident that this success will continue through to Tokyo next summer.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the roll out of a covid-19 vaccine to elite athletes.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government’s vaccines portfolio ensures we have the best chance of accessing a safe and effective vaccine for people in the UK as soon as one becomes available. We are also working on deployment plans in the event that a safe, effective vaccine is discovered.
We are vigorously pursuing efforts on vaccines, therapeutics and mass testing to return conditions to normal as soon as possible. In terms of a vaccine, there are several encouraging trials but it is likely to be well into 2021 until one can be widely deployed. Our strategy will continue to be shaped by the work of our brilliant scientists.
We know this is a challenging period for all sports and the Government remains committed to supporting our elite athletes. Olympic and Paralympic sport is not immune from the impact of Covid-19 and we will continue to work with UK Sport and other sports bodies in ensuring that our elite athletes are well supported in this difficult period to ensure that Team GB and ParalympicsGB are ready for the Tokyo Games and other world wide sporting events when they do take place in 2021.
The English Institute of Sport’s world-class support for our athletes has been maintained during the current epidemic. Team GB’s historic medal haul in Rio was an amazing achievement and our athletes made the country incredibly proud. I am confident that this success will continue through to Tokyo next summer.
Asked by: Julie Elliott (Labour - Sunderland Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of sporting events that must be available on free-to-air television under the Broadcasting Act 1996; and if he will publish an update on the Government's consultation announced in 2019 on listed sporting events.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The listed events regime strikes a balance between retaining free-to-air sporting events for the public while allowing rights holders to negotiate agreements in the best interests of their sport.
The government recognises that more can be done to improve the diversity of the listed events regime and to support the broadcasting of disability and women’s sport.
This is why we have added the Paralympic Games to the list, recognising that it is an event of ‘special national significance’ on par with the Olympic Games. We have also consulted on the addition of the women’s equivalent of men’s events already on the list and we will respond to this consultation in due course.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much public funding has been allocated for UK participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing; whether, in the light of reports of serious human rights violations against Uighurs and others, they have made representations to the International Olympic Committee about reconsidering the suitability of Beijing as a host city; and what plans they have to reconsider UK participation if any such violations continue and the host city remains unchanged.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government, through UK Sport, is investing £?20m into Winter ?Olympic sports during the current ?Beijing 20?22? funding c?ycle. UK Sport’s current funding figures for Summer and Winter Olympic Paralympic sports can be found here: https://www.uksport.gov.uk/our-work/investing-in-sport/current-funding-figures
Decisions on which cities should host Summer and Winter Olympic Games are matters for the International Olympic Committee.
The British Olympic Association (BOA), a privately funded organisation independent of Government, is responsible for Team GB’s participation at Summer and Winter Olympic Games. As the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the BOA may cooperate with governments, but rule 27.6 of the Olympic Charter states "The NOCs must preserve their autonomy and resist all pressures of any kind, including but not limited to political, legal, religious or economic pressures which may prevent them from complying with the Olympic Charter."
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the funding through UK Sport of UK athletes who were due to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and who have lost their funding due to restrictions on activity resulting from the COVID-19 emergency.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government remains committed to supporting our elite athletes and we will continue to work with UK Sport in ensuring that our athletes are assisted through this difficult period. Olympic and Paralympic sport is not immune from the impact of Covid-19 and the postponement of Tokyo 2020 has significant financial implications for our high performance system. UK Sport is working hard to identify the wide ranging impacts and scenarios and is in close contact with the Government to establish how best to support our summer Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes to be ready for the Tokyo Games when they do take place.
UK Sport is also guaranteeing that Athlete Performance Awards (APA) will continue to be paid and is taking a flexible approach to NGB investments within their grant awards. UK Sport is working closely with sports to be able to manage this approach.
Team GB’s historic medal haul in Rio was an amazing achievement and our athletes made the country incredibly proud. I am confident that this success will continue through to Tokyo next summer.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ask UK Sport to provide financial support for rugby sevens teams ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after their RFU funding expires in August.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Decisions on elite Olympic and Paralympic funding allocations are for UK Sport. Having delivered our greatest Olympic performance in a century at Rio in 2016, It is crucial that funding is invested strategically in the right sports, the right athletes and the right support programmes.
We continue to work with UK Sport and sports bodies to support our athletes and sports in the run-up to the Tokyo Games in 2021. We want the Tokyo Games to be a success and will work alongside everyone involved to help achieve this.
The Chancellor announced a host of measures to help businesses, with £330 billion worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses across the UK. In addition, Sport England, has also announced £210 million of funding to help sport and physical activity organisations deal with the short and long term effects of the pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Barran on 28 April (HL Deb, col 176) that the forthcoming spending review will address the budget needs for the Olympic programmes, what information they will give to potential Olympic and Paralympic athletes as to whether existing their training and racing programmes will be extended until the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, in the event that the spending review is delayed until the autumn.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We know this is a challenging period for all sports and we continue to work closely with the whole sector to understand the issues they face and how we can best support them through this difficult time.
The Comprehensive Spending Review has been delayed from July to later this year to ensure that HM Treasury and departments can remain focused on responding to the immediate public health and economic emergency.
Further details about the next spending review will be set out in due course. It will follow significant investment the government announced through both Budget 2020 and Spending Round 2019, and will take into account the government’s response to COVID-19.
We remain committed to supporting our elite athletes and the current UK Sport settlement goes through till April 2021. My department is working to ensure that we have a strong evidence-base with which to support the Chancellor ahead of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide testing and tracing opportunities at an early opportunity for those either selected or shortlisted to compete for Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is holding weekly meetings with senior medical officials and sport representatives to discuss key issues around COVID-19, and is communicating regularly with stakeholders across the sporting sector to share the latest advice. We will maintain these discussions as plans to restart training and competition within elite sport are developed.
Olympic and Paralympic sport is not immune from the impact of Covid-19 and we will continue to work with UK Sport in ensuring that our athletes are well supported in this difficult period.
We have now published step one guidance on the return to training for elite sport which sets out the minimum operating expectations of an elite training environment, and has been developed in close consultation with the Deputy Chief Medical Officers of England, Public Health England and medical representatives across Olympic, Paralympic and professional sports governing bodies.