Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, following Committee Stage of the Football Governance Bill, they intend to continue with plans to provide the Secretary of State with legislative powers to define the beginning and end dates of the season for football competitions.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This power is required so that in the case of any potential future changes to a football season and how it is calculated, the Secretary of State is able to quickly make corrective amendments to the definition.
This power is not about amending the industry’s definition of a season. The current definition of a football season within the Bill is accurate for the current situation. If the current situation were to change, the Secretary of State should have the ability to alter this definition to ensure the regime is still operational.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the meaning is of “exercises a higher degree of influence or control over” club, as set out as part of the proposed Owners’ and Directors’ test in Clause 3(2)(b) of the Football Governance Bill.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A club’s ultimate owner is defined as the owner who has the highest degree of influence or control over the activities of the club.
A club can have more than one ultimate owner if those owners - all have the same degree of influence or control.
The definition of “significant influence or control” by owners will be set out in Secretary of State guidance, which will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place copies of all correspondence with UEFA, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee regarding the proposal to introduce a Football Regulator in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As has been reiterated throughout the Committee stage of the Football Governance Bill, it would not be appropriate to publish private correspondence with any stakeholders in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list all the appointments made to date to the Shadow Football Regulator, setting out how many were previously employed in the DCMS during the last five years as employees, advisers, or appointees to DCMS-appointed Sports Advisory Groups, and where the Shadow Football Regulator’s office is based.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Shadow Football Regulator is a transition team within DCMS that is working to set up a new Independent Football Regulator. Staff are currently located across DCMS’ sites in Manchester and London.
As of 19th December 2024, the Shadow Regulator comprises 38 Full Time Equivalent staff, 36 of which are at grades below senior civil service (SCS) level - as is usual practice regarding the civil servants we are unable to comment further on these appointments due to the risk of identifying the individuals who have been appointed.
The remaining two appointments are at SCS level. Of these, one returned to DCMS following a secondment to the Sports Ground Safety Authority. The other was recruited from an independent regulator.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Twycross on 18 December (HL Deb col 370), whether it is their intention to seek assurances from UEFA that the introduction of backstop powers to the proposed Football Regulator does not impact on the autonomy and independence of football’s governance as required by UEFA.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As set out during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on 18 December, UEFA raised no concerns about the backstop in its most recent meetings with DCMS and the Minister for Sport. The Department continues to engage with UEFA and other relevant stakeholders as the Bill progresses through Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government which of the Premier League of English Football League Clubs were consulted on the proposal to include parachute payments in the Football Governance Bill and on which dates those meetings took place.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Football Governance Bill is the culmination of almost five years of work. During this time, there has been extensive engagement with key stakeholders by the department (which included regular meetings with the Premier League, where policy such as parachute payments were discussed) and by the Minister for Sport, whilst she was in Opposition.
Ahead of the introduction of the Football Governance Bill, DCMS Ministers met with Brentford, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Everton and parachute payments were discussed. A significant number of meetings also took place with the Premier League executive, who represent their members and have advocated on behalf of clubs. Similar meetings were also held with the EFL and National League executives and clubs.
The Secretary of State and Minister for Sport invited all clubs to meet on 23rd October where the Bill was again discussed.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether staff at UK Sport were told they would be entering a period of consultation in advance of the staff and budget reductions for the 2028 Olympic Games cycle and Olympic and Paralympic athlete programmes.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
UK Sport’s change process is ongoing, but has been subject to a full and comprehensive consultation with staff.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with governing bodies of sports on the inclusion of hyperandrogenous athletes in national and international competitions.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
It is for domestic national governing bodies of individual sports to determine their own rules regarding the eligibility of athletes, including hyperandrogenous athletes, to compete in the UK.
Similarly, all sports which compete internationally must comply with their international federation rules at that level, with the rules determined by the relevant international federation.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to increase the diversity of leadership of national and international sports bodies, as announced by UK Sport on 24 June 2021; and what changes have been achieved to the membership of each governing body of sport that is in receipt of national lottery or Treasury financing since that date.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recognises the importance of diverse leadership and works closely with our partners in the sector including our arm’s-length bodies Sport England and UK Sport, national governing bodies, and sporting organisations to tackle inequalities and prioritise diversity and inclusion at all levels of sport.
The Code for Sports Governance sets out the standards all sporting organisations must meet in return for public funding from either UK Sport or Sport England. The updated code has proved successful in setting clear expectations about good governance and diversity.
The Code has had a clear impact for funded bodies in driving greater diversity on their boards, helping female representation on the boards of partners complying with the Code rise to 44% since its introduction in 2021.
Numbers have also risen in relation to representation from people from Black, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds, and from those with a declared disability, increasing respectively to 13% (from 4% in 2015) and 13% (from 3% in 2015), reflecting the progress and desire of the sector to make change.
Board composition and the wider governance of international federations is a matter for the individual organisations.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the continuing increase in child obesity through the support of sport and recreational activities.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Supporting children and young people to take part in sport and physical activity is a key Government priority, so that everyone can enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that exercise provides. We continue to work across Government and with Sport England to support children to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of getting 60 active minutes a day, and will shortly be publishing a new Sport Strategy with the aim of increasing physical activity among young people.
An important contribution to meeting these guidelines is ensuring that children get access to good quality physical education and school sport. The Department for Education encourages all schools to deliver at least two hours of PE a week, and will shortly be publishing a revised School Sport Activity Action Plan.