World Cup: Football

Baroness Garden of Frognal Excerpts

Wednesday 8th December 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Faulkner of Worcester]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I declare an unpaid interest as vice-president of the Football Conference and as an officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Football Group.

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, there is obviously great disappointment over FIFA’s decision. England’s 2018 team put together a strong technical bid which FIFA recognised. It is difficult to think what more the Government could have done to support it. I congratulate Russia and Qatar on being selected and wish them luck for hosting the tournaments in 2018 and 2022. It is too early to draw lessons at this stage but that process will now begin.

[Lord Faulkner of Worcester]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. I think most reasonable people will take the view that this Government and their predecessor did all they legally could to win the bid. I suspect that many of your Lordships will have had the experience of being promised votes from people who turn out to be inveterate liars. Does the Minister agree that this is now the time for a far-reaching government inquiry into the state of English football, looking at such matters as the governance of the Football Association, the influence of the Premier League on the England national team and the effects of all these developments on the grassroots of the game?

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, I acknowledge the noble Lord’s long-standing commitment to football and his wide-ranging contributions to the sport. On the matters of governance, it is not for the Government to run football. We have been clear that we are looking to football to put its house in order and we would expect it to address governance and regulation issues internally before there is any question of government regulation. But on the broad gist of his remarks, yes, we would agree with that.

[Lord Mawhinney]

My Lords, I start by declaring an interest as deputy chairman of England’s 2018 bid and, secondly, as honorary president of the Football League. I have two questions for my noble friend. Does she accept on behalf of the Government that when an excess of money combines with a deficit in truthfulness, the main casualty is the integrity of competition, whether it is national or international football? Secondly, is it the Government’s view that the charges and issues raised by the Sunday Times and by the BBC “Panorama” programme remain on the table to be resolved?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, one of the aspects of the Sunday Times exposé is that FIFA responded by expelling two executive committee members in November. Its ethics committee has shown that it takes allegations of corruption seriously, but the issues and the sanctions FIFA imposes are a matter for it.

[Lord Anderson of Swansea]

My Lords, is there not one clear lesson from this, and that is the gross injustice done to the noble Lord, Lord Triesman, who was right but was right before his time?

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, I think perhaps on that matter I had better not comment.

[Lord Addington]

My Lords, would my noble friend agree that if football wants help from the Government, it must, as the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, says, put its own house in order before it goes back to Parliament or any other part of Government asking for any support or help? In that light, can my noble friend give us an assurance that the Government will make sure that football has at least started on that process before we start listening to it again?

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

I thank my noble friend for that question. It refers back to what I previously said. We would expect the Football Association to put its house in order and we look forward to that being learnt. Quite possibly, the result of not getting the World Cup will mean that football takes another look at the way in which it operates, although in no way would I suggest that football was at fault in our not gaining the World Cup in 2018.

[Baroness Billingham]

Many people have said that the best antidote to the rebuttal that we have had is to actually get on the pitch and win the World Cup at the next possible opportunity. If it is any help to the Minister, is she aware that there is already the Burns report which did an amazing review of football governance in this country? It may well be time that we looked at the Burns report again and brought it into action.

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, I entirely agree with the noble Baroness that getting on the pitch and winning some matches would be a very good rebuttal of what has happened with FIFA. On the funding side, the Government remain committed to investing in grassroots football through the money which Sport England provides to the Football Association and, as she says, learning lessons from the Burns review.

[Lord Inglewood]

Does the Minister agree that it is open to those against whom these very serious allegations have been made by the Sunday Times and “Panorama” to issue court proceedings for defamation, and that we can draw our own conclusion on whether they do so?

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

Again, my noble friend makes a very valid point but, I think, that is outside the remit of government to control.

[Lord Pannick]

My Lords, can the Minister confirm the accuracy of a report in the Guardian newspaper on 1 December that, as a condition of being allowed to bid, the Government agreed to exempt FIFA and its representatives from aspects of the money-laundering regulations if they were to come to this country for the tournament in 2018? Can she also confirm that no such extraordinary condition was imposed by the IOC in relation to the Olympic bid for London 2012?

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, a number of conditions were agreed by the previous Administration before the bid went forward and guarantees were required by FIFA. The guarantees were generic and did not take into account matters such as EU law. There were also some things that we were required to do—for example, we were required to charge VAT by EU law—but we made it clear to FIFA that, as with the Olympics, arrangements would be put in place to minimise the impact and not distort our own systems.