Sporting Events Bill [HL]

Baroness Dacres of Lewisham Excerpts

2nd reading
Wednesday 3rd June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Dacres of Lewisham (Lab)]

My Lords, the United Kingdom has a proud record of hosting major international sporting events, from the Olympic and Paralympic Games to European championships and world tournaments. These events have showcased our country on the global stage, inspired future generations and delivered significant economic and social benefits.

This Bill seeks to provide a more efficient and consistent framework for hosting such events in the future. Rather than requiring bespoke legislation each time the UK hosts a major international tournament, it establishes a framework that can be applied where appropriate. That is a sensible approach which should improve certainty for organisers, strengthen our international competitiveness when bidding for events and reduce unnecessary legislative duplication. With UEFA Euro 2028 on the horizon and future opportunities to host global tournaments, now is the right time to put in place a framework that allows the United Kingdom to move quickly and confidently when opportunities arise.

The Bill, at its heart, is a practical piece of legislation. In the past, Parliament has needed bespoke legislation for individual sporting events. By establishing a clear framework for future tournaments, the Bill reduces unnecessary barriers, streamlines the legislative process and provides greater certainty for organisers and host communities.

I welcome the measures to tackle ticket touting, protect commercial rights and support effective transport management. Ticket touting can leave genuine supporters priced out and unable to access events. Measures that help to ensure tickets reach genuine fans are therefore welcome. Sponsors and commercial partners provide significant investment that helps make major events possible, and appropriate protection can help safeguard that investment.

Effective transport management is equally important. The success of major sporting events depends not only on what happens inside the venue but on whether spectators, volunteers, workers and local residents can move around safely and efficiently. For many visitors, the transport network provides their first and last impression of a host city. Yet the value of major sporting events cannot be measured solely in economic terms; they also create memories that last a lifetime. They bring families, friends and communities together in shared experiences that become part of our personal and collective story.

For me, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games remain a powerful example. My son still remembers our trips to watch the volleyball and the women’s football bronze medal match. Those memories remain with us today. The Games also touched my own family in other ways. My mother, who was retired at the time, took part in both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games. Like thousands of volunteers and performers, she became part of something larger than herself and carries those memories long afterwards. In different ways, three generations of my family were able to share in the experience of London 2012. That demonstrates the unique power of major sporting events not only to bring people together but to create memories that are passed from one generation to the next. It also serves as a reminder that major sporting events should be as accessible as possible.

The opportunity to attend, participate in or contribute to such events should be available to as many people as possible and not be limited by circumstances. This is particularly important for young people. For many, attending a major sporting event can be a life-changing experience that sparks a lifelong interest in sport, volunteering or physical activity. We should therefore seek to ensure that opportunities to attend such events are accessible and affordable, so that young people from all backgrounds can share in the inspiration they provide. Whether through fair access to tickets, accessible venues and transport, or opportunities for volunteering and participation, we should seek to ensure that the benefits of major sporting events can be enjoyed by people from all backgrounds and communities.

Seeing athletes perform at the highest level can encourage young people to become more active, participate in sport, volunteer in communities or simply believe that they too can achieve great things. Major international sporting events can generate economic benefits, support local businesses, inspire participation in sport and leave a lasting community legacy. I welcome the ambition of the UEFA Euro 2028 organisers to deliver the largest community programme ever associated with a UEFA European Championship; I believe that this should be an aspiration for all major international sporting events. Success should be measured not only by what happens inside the venue but by the benefits they leave behind for communities long after the event has concluded.

Good legislation should not simply make it easier to host events but make it easier for communities to benefit from them. The Bill will also strengthen the United Kingdom’s position as a destination for major international sporting events. In an increasingly competitive global environment, host nations are expected to provide confidence that the necessary legal and operational frameworks are in place. This legislation helps to provide that assurance.

As the Bill progresses, I would welcome further clarification from the Minister on several points. First, the Bill grants significant powers to Ministers through secondary legislation. Can the Minister explain what safeguards will ensure appropriate parliamentary scrutiny? Secondly, what steps will the Government take to maximise the long-term legacy of major sporting events, particularly for young people, including participation in sports, volunteering, skill development and pathways into employment? Finally, how will accessibility be embedded within future events planning to ensure that disabled and neurodivergent people can participate independently and with confidence?

The greatest sporting events are remembered not simply by who won or who lost; they are remembered because of the memories they create, the people they inspire and the legacy they leave behind for communities across our nation. By reducing barriers, streamlining processes and helping the United Kingdom to secure future world-class sporting events, the Bill will help to ensure those benefits are felt for years to come. I am pleased to support this Second Reading.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Lab)]

I think the noble Lord is barking up the wrong tree. On this occasion, there were no strikes involved in those disruptions.

[Baroness Dacres of Lewisham (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for giving way. Is she advocating for Great British Railways to unite the railway companies so that it is all under one umbrella?

[Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Lab)]

I have thought of raising this with our noble friend Lord Hendy, who seems to be on top of all those issues.

I will point out one other anomaly, despite the time. Literally the biggest game in English women’s football—the Women’s Cup Final—was held at Wembley last week and there was no service to Wembley on the Lioness Line. How ironic is that?

I welcome this Bill and its proposals. However, please can we learn some domestic lessons from this and have some domestic improvements, because there are many problems and challenges on the domestic, as well as the international, front?