Sporting Events Bill [HL]

(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)

3rd reading
Tuesday 21st July 2026 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[Baroness Twycross]

That the Bill be now read a third time.

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I have it in command from His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to acquaint the House that they, having been informed of the purport of the Sporting Events Bill, have consented to place their interests, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)]

My Lords, before the formal Third Reading of the Sporting Events Bill, I will now make a short statement on the position regarding legislative consent. As noble Lords will know, the Bill affects the whole of the United Kingdom. We are seeking consent from each of the devolved legislatures and have been engaging constructively with the devolved Governments throughout the Bill’s passage. We will continue to work alongside the devolved Governments to ensure that final positions are reached in relation to legislative consent before the final amending stage in the second House. We will have more to say in the other place, and we will of course keep noble Lords updated on this. I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third time.

A privilege amendment was made.

--- Later in debate ---

Moved by

[Baroness Twycross]

That the Bill do now pass.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

My Lords, this Bill seeks to establish a framework that enables certain sporting events to benefit from the enhanced commercial protections needed to preserve the integrity of events and, importantly, offset costs to taxpayers. These provisions will help ensure that the United Kingdom remains an attractive host for major sporting events and continues to build on its world-leading reputation in this field.

On Report, I committed to further engagement with noble Lords and our outstanding recurrent sporting events sector over the summer. I understand the views of your Lordships’ House on this matter and am committed to properly assessing all the considerations and possible unintended consequences before determining appropriate next steps. I reiterate that the environment will be a clear consideration as this Government develop a major events strategy to be published in the spring.

I thank all noble Lords who have contributed during highly constructive debates and, through their time and expertise, have sought to strengthen the Bill. Specifically, I thank the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Front Benches, as well as the noble Baronesses, Lady Evans of Bowes Park and Lady Grey-Thompson, and the noble Lord, Lord Holmes of Richmond, for their constructive approach and engagement. I also thank my officials for their considerable support and patience during the Bill’s passage. I am grateful for the engagement with the Bill and its broad support across your Lordships’ House. As I have said before, if we get this right, the benefits will be felt far beyond the field of play. I beg to move.

[Lord Addington (LD)]

My Lords, this was a Bill where the only disagreement we had was that we did not think the Government were brave enough with their own ideas. It does not often happen that we actually get through to a position, and I think we did. Just to remind ourselves, we did it by those on this side of the House working together in a constructive manner. I hope we can remember that in future and make sure that when we have some agreement, bringing it forth in a coherent manner means we get something better. I hear what the Government have said on this. I take heart from it, but I ask them to remember that they can be braver when they have a good idea. I am not often going to say this, but on this occasion I am.

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[Lord Ashcombe (Con)]

My Lords, the more astute among your Lordships will have realised that this is the first time I have taken part on this Bill. I do so because, unfortunately, my noble friends Lord Markham and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, who led from these Benches on the Bill, cannot be here today. They both send their apologies. It therefore falls upon me to respond on behalf of His Majesty’s Official Opposition today.

We have broadly welcomed this legislation while highlighting a few areas where we have concerns and others where we have seen room for improvement. The noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, said at Second Reading that she wished the Government would be bolder, as noted just now by the noble Lord, Lord Addington, with the scope of the sporting events framework. While the Government have not yet fully taken her advice, it is welcome that your Lordships’ House has done so by adopting the amendments tabled by my noble friend Lady Evans of Bowes Park and the noble Lord, Lord Addington. The changes we made here last week strengthen the Bill and will, if the Government follow through on their promise to continue the debates we have had about them in good faith, enable many of the most well-loved sporting events in this country to benefit from this legislation. I hope that when the Bill goes to another place, the new Government will agree with the amendments made here or, if they wish to make some modest changes to them, will keep them in both spirit and substance.

I want to record our thanks to a number of noble Lords who have made this such a constructive process. My noble friends Lady Evans of Bowes Park, Lord Moynihan and Lord Fuller, the noble Lord, Lord Addington, and the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, brought their considerable experience and expertise to the Bill’s proceedings. I also thank the Minister, all the officials and the Bill team who have supported her for their willingness to meet noble Lords across your Lordships’ House throughout the passage of the Bill. I know that noble Lords found their discussions genuinely useful, and I am grateful that some of the concerns raised by the Opposition and others were listened to. This is a Bill that we hope will boost the ability of the United Kingdom to host major sporting events. It leaves this House in a better state than when it was introduced, and I hope it moves through another place in the same spirit.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lords.