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Written Question
Sports Competitors: Females
Friday 4th December 2020

Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the stigma associated with menstruation for women and girls in sport.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Periods should never be a taboo subject. Women and girls should feel comfortable discussing their menstrual cycle, and how it affects their attitude to sport and their sporting performance.

We are determined to encourage more women and girls to get active and break down the barriers that prevent them from doing so, something we set out in our sport strategy Sporting Future. Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign was created to get more women active regardless of shape, size and ability, and aims to tackle head on the social barriers that can prevent women from feeling like they can join in. The latest phase of the campaign, launched earlier this year, addressed periods, showing a tampon string towards the end of the advert. The reaction to this in the press and in online discussion was overwhelmingly positive with a recognition that it shows the truth of women’s lives.

Sport England are also supporting the government taskforce to tackle period poverty, primarily around actions to tackle the stigma relating to women in sport, and particularly their impact on teenage participation in physical activity in schools.

In addition, we welcome the work that the English Institute of Sport is doing through their SMARTHer campaign to open up conversations amongst athletes, coaches and staff in high performance sport around athletes’ menstrual cycles in order to improve support.


Written Question
Employment Schemes: Voluntary Work
Monday 30th November 2020

Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) the Access to Work programme, and (2) related programmes, give participants the opportunity to volunteer at major UK sporting events, including (a) the Rugby League World Cup 2021, (b) the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and (c) the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Access to Work support is available for disabled people and those who have a health condition whose disability or health condition affects the way they do their job. To be eligible for Access to Work the customer must be aged 16 years or over and satisfy certain criteria. As volunteering does not satisfy all the eligibility criteria, volunteers are not eligible for Access to Work support. Where individuals are employed into paid roles, the government will assist applications to the Access to Work programme if requested.

The Rugby League World Cup 2021 Board has launched a volunteer programme called The Power Squad. This programme makes a commitment to celebrate the inclusive and diverse population of England as well as the rich history of host towns and cities.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games provides a fantastic opportunity to accelerate employment and skills opportunities for residents of the West Midlands. A comprehensive volunteering programme is due to launch in 2021, with up to 1000 roles ring-fenced for West Midlands residents and with a focus on disadvantaged groups.

UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 will create a number of paid employment opportunities, plus a sizeable volunteer programme of stadium and host city volunteers. These paid and voluntary roles will be open to all and will enable as many people as possible to be part of the tournament.


Written Question
Sports: Tickets
Wednesday 17th December 2014

Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the terms and conditions required by governing bodies of sport as the promoters of major events should be adhered to and take priority over secondary market interests.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The terms and conditions on an event ticket are a matter of civil law. We do, however, expect there to be a reasonable balance between the terms and conditions which apply when purchasing goods and enabling consumers with unwanted tickets to dispose of them fairly and openly.