Sporting Events Bill [HL]

Baroness Morris of Bolton Excerpts

Report stage
Wednesday 15th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Fuller (Con)]

I am reminded by the Deputy Speaker on the Bench to the left of me that I have 15 minutes, although I do not intend to take that amount.

So there are no guarantees—not in this game. In 2012, there were 70,000 Games makers who contributed 8 million hours. There were many other employees involved in broadcasting, catering, cleaning, merchandising, ticketing, security, bar work and selling ice cream, all the way from Stratford to Portland Bill. Let us say it was 150,000 people in total. We celebrate that because, without those 150,000 people, the Games would not have been a celebration at all.

The problem is that these are temporary events and mobilising that sort of temporary labour is now illegal. The Employment Rights Act means that the ad hoc work that these tournaments need cannot be offered to people without a guarantee. That is incompatible with a Games of uncertainty, which depends on personal performance, individual events and knockout stages.

The only conclusion I can form is that the Government expect the organisers and contractors to underwrite these guarantees to the people selling beer, ice cream, et cetera. But who would sign up to such open-ended liabilities? The Government say they want to sweep away the uncertainty and risk of big events being in this country, but let us be clear: the Employment Rights Act provisions, in so far as labour is concerned, add high costs and regulatory risks that exist nowhere else in the world.

My amendment is intended to be helpful. These events happen only once every decade and they are obviously temporary. We know that the hours cannot be guaranteed, because that is the way they work, so my amendment carves out the ad hoc employment from the Employment Rights Act, but only in so far as events that fall within the Sporting Events Bill, because I want people to take part to support the delivery of the tournament, put their shoulder to the wheel, grow as individuals and make the Games a success.

The Government either want to host these events or they do not. Nobody wants them to host these events more than me, so let us empower our negotiators and give them every chance of success, not hobble them with additional rules and regulations that do not apply elsewhere, potentially damaging the enjoyment and pleasure of going to the game and giving us the agony, once more, of coming second in that penalty shoot-out or tiebreak against other more enterprising nations who will beat us to the podium for the hosting rights. I beg to move.

[Baroness Morris of Bolton (Con)]

My Lords, I just inform the House that although I did advise my noble friend that he had 15 minutes, I also advised him that I did not think he would be very popular if he availed himself of the full 15.

[Lord Fuller (Con)]

And you were right.

[Baroness Morris of Bolton (Con)]

And I was right.

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his points, which we supported in Committee and support still. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, and my noble friend Lady Morris for their refereeing and look forward to the Minister’s response.