Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephanie Peacock and Lucy Frazer

Thursday 16th November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley East) (Lab)]

Football clubs are more than businesses; they are at the heart of communities up and down the country, but too many clubs are being pushed to the brink, leaving fans from Scunthorpe to Reading worried that their club might be damaged beyond repair by the time a regulator is brought in. Will the Secretary of State update us on what immediate action and interim measures the Department is taking to ensure that an independent regulator for football is ready to go as soon as new legislation is passed?

[Lucy Frazer]

We are taking absolutely those measures: we are putting in place a shadow regulator, and we have advertised for the appointment of the regulator’s chief operating officer. We want to ensure that as soon as the legislation is on the books, everything is ready so that it can come into force as soon as possible.

I notice that the Football Task Force was set up in 1997 by the incoming Labour Government to look at systemic issues in football and make recommendations to Ministers on how to address them. However, despite a number of reports identifying significant failings in the sport, a member of that taskforce’s working group reported that the Labour Government made it clear that they could not, and would not, deliver a statutory regulator. This Government are bringing that regulator in.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephanie Peacock and Lucy Frazer

Thursday 9th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley East) (Lab)]

It is now over six weeks since it was revealed that the chairman of the BBC helped the former Prime Minister to secure an £800,000 loan before he was selected for the job. Today he remains in post. What immediate steps has the Secretary of State taken to restore trust in the independence of the BBC, in the appointment system and in the Government?

[Lucy Frazer]

As the hon. Member will know, there is an investigation by the commissioner for employment. It is ongoing and I am awaiting the outcome.

Levelling-up Fund Round 2

Debate between Stephanie Peacock and Lucy Frazer

Thursday 19th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

I do not believe the UKSPF funding was allocated like that. Greater Manchester got £98 million. Of course it is important that the areas that need it are assessed, which is the basis on which we assessed the £2 billion-worth of funding we announced this morning.

[Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley East) (Lab)]

Barnsley East has been rejected for funding again, yet the Prime Minister’s wealthy constituency received funding in both rounds. Will the Minister stop pretending that levelling-up funding is about helping areas that need it most and accept that there are serious questions to answer about how and where it is allocated?

[Lucy Frazer]

The hon. Lady should look at the technical note, which will be published in due course, to see how the assessments were made.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephanie Peacock and Lucy Frazer

Monday 21st November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

As a new Minister in post, I wish to reassure my hon. Friend that I am committed to taking forward the taskforce and I have already spoken to the Minister for Care about re-establishing it.

[Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley East) (Lab)]

One of the stated aims of levelling up is to

“restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging”.

Barnsley does not lack pride or community—we lack resources. After slashing 40% of our council’s budget, rejecting two levelling-up bids and now backing a Budget that places a heavy burden on councils, what are the Government doing to make sure that levelling up delivers a genuine economic boost to areas such as Barnsley?

[Lucy Frazer]

I am sorry that Barnsley has not been successful in its levelling-up fund bids, but of course a variety of schemes have been put forward to improve local areas. Those are not finished and I wish her area every success in future bids.