Grassroots Sporting Fixtures and Facilities

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Monday 11th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

I can only agree with the noble Lord about the importance of keeping our nation active and those involved in sport having a chance to continue to do so. That is why we have kept those restricted options open, as I referred to already, on public land, which has not been the case in some other areas. Obviously, there are initiatives such as Join the Movement from Sport England. I reassure the noble Lord that we are in constant consultation with the key governing bodies about the future of sport and the funding required.

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, sport is a lifeline of physical activities and mental well-being in areas where there is endemic housing overcrowding. I am therefore delighted that the Government are recognising youth workers as essential workers, because they have a vital role. I commend to the Minister and the House the work of London Tigers, under the leadership of Mesba Ahmed and Polly Islam, who have played an outstanding role in Tower Hamlets and elsewhere. Will the Minister look at their work and see the outstanding example they have set and perhaps consider it applicable elsewhere in grass-roots level community sports?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

I would be delighted to look at their work. We are keen that everyone in this country has an opportunity to play and to enjoy sport.

Sport Sector: Financial Support

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Wednesday 25th November 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

I think the noble Baroness may be conflating two things. This package is very specifically for those sports clubs in real financial difficulty. It is the same whether it is a woman’s sport or a man’s. This is not about trying to level the playing field between men’s and women’s sports. The noble Baroness made entirely valid points about the wider context for women’s sport and I hope she will acknowledge that progress has been made. We are determined to make further progress, but this specific package is about ensuring the survival of clubs. In that regard, women’s sport is on an equal footing to men’s.

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl) [V]]

My Lords, I begin by extending my condolences to the worldwide fans of Diego Maradona, who died earlier today.

Youth provision by skilled staff has been a vital source of safe space and plays a critical role for young people who may be vulnerable, empowering them through recreation and sports activities, including, in my area, women’s bicycling clubs. Many youth organisations have had their services shut down, which may leave current generations excluded. I know that the Minister will understand all too well the significance of their inclusion at this time. Will she nudge her department towards grass-roots, community sport, from where the next generation of Beckhams and cricket’s Moeen Alis may come?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

I reassure the noble Baroness that my department does not need any nudging in relation to the importance of sport for young people. As I mentioned, we committed £220 million to grass-roots sport, much of which will benefit young people. Crucially, we have also worked closely with the youth sector throughout the pandemic, so that youth workers are able to carry on providing the critical support for just the vulnerable young people to whom the noble Baroness rightly alludes.

Historic Statues

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Monday 19th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

It is perhaps worth separating out the different issues here. The noble Lord is right that many issues, as he has described, relate to and fall within the responsibility of local government. Where central government has been clear in setting out its position is in relation to publicly funded institutions, where we have stressed their need for impartiality.

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, on 17 December 2015, I drew to the attention of this House the brutal legacy of slavery which led to the establishment of Buxton memorial fountain just across from the Chamber. Colonisation across the globe was a trade of human misery, of men and women, families, communities and nations, shredded, bound and pillaged, against any claim of decency and human dignity, rights and justice that we rightly hold today. Will the Minister consider requesting the Lord Speaker and the Speaker in the other place to set up a commission to examine how we honour and celebrate the freedom fighters and leaders of the movement who stood up valiantly against the degradation of colonisation and the inhuman slavery of human people?

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

The noble Baroness raises important points, but I feel that they are for Parliament to decide rather than the department.

Charitable and Voluntary Sector

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Thursday 30th April 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, the national and international charity sector has been the safety net for those most in need. It has strengthened our communities with extraordinary, innovative solutions, providing housing, education, refuge and food banks, and creating a platform for emerging leaders, including prominent women. This crisis should not change our country; it should define our humanity. Like other noble Lords, I have worked with numerous national and international NGOs, for 40 years. It was a privilege to set up a number of organisations to work with vulnerable women and their families. All of us had a sincere determination to challenge the status quo and liberate lives from social inequality, poverty and discrimination.

A decade of austerity and punitive cuts has meant smaller NGOs closing or reducing their services, often preventing vulnerable families—particularly women experiencing or fleeing violence—from accessing a trusted anchor and a lifeline of hope. Many women-led organisations have suffered draconian cuts, including in my own borough, where services for minority women have been severed, having been seen as surplus to requirements. Sadly, we are witnessing the impact of policy decisions, with many women and children suffering abuse in silence, unable to access refuges or the support and counselling they urgently and desperately need. I hope that the Minister will agree to reassess the role of the voluntary sector in developing the kinder society that is much needed at this time.

Each year, Muslim charities raise over £100 million during the month of Ramadan, with women donating a significant amount. Several national organisations are experiencing dramatic reductions in donations, although they have mobilised volunteers to support vulnerable families, local food banks and NHS staff. I have witnessed first-hand these remarkable endeavours. Can the Government consider mandating local authorities to ring-fence their financial support, to ensure that women’s economic, education, employment and safety needs are at the core of all local authorities’ services post-lockdown?

BBC Charter Review

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd January 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (LD)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[Earl Howe (Con)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Liberal Democrats.