Olympics and Paralympics: Competitors in Female Categories

Baroness Twycross Excerpts

Tuesday 29th October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the International Olympic Committee, British Olympic Association, or relevant governing bodies for British boxing, about reports of biological males boxing in the female category in the Olympics in Paris; and what discussions they have had with the relevant governing bodies about biological males competing in any female category of sport at the Olympics or Paralympics.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)]

It is for international federations to determine the rules for their sports at the international level. The Government have had no discussions with the IOC, the BOA or the boxing authorities about gender eligibility in sport in relation to the highly speculative reports that my noble friend’s Question relates to and repeats. Our sports councils have produced guidance providing domestic sports bodies with a framework to set their own policies for who can participate in their sports.

[Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Lab)]

I regret that Answer, which obviously means that the Government are not particularly concerned. While what happened in Paris affected women at the very top of their game, we will have fewer elite women if they have to compete against born men at grass-roots level. Whether in fencing, cricket, football or snooker, we are seeing British sports bodies dithering on whether it is fair or safe for born women to compete against born men, with all their inherent physical advantages. Can my noble friend the Minister discuss with all the sporting bodies how they propose to protect women’s sports at all levels, with regard to safety and fairness, to ensure that we develop a future crop of British female Olympians?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I will repeat the reason why the Government have not had any discussions with the IOC, the BOA or the boxing authorities about this highly speculative report that my noble friend’s Question relates to: it is highly speculative, and we cannot discuss things just because there is high speculation in the media about issues.

[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)]

My Lords, if the Minister is not prepared to have discussions with the Olympic committee, might she have discussions with her parliamentary colleagues who seem intent on practising boxing on the streets of our country in the early hours of the morning?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a matter that I assume is also subject to considerable speculation in the media and is, I suggest, a matter for a Commons Whip and not a Lords Whip.

[Baroness Thornton (Lab)]

My Lords, I confess that I was surprised to see this Question posed by my noble friend in the way it is on the Order Paper, based on an inaccuracy. Both the women who competed in the Olympics were born as women, lived as women and competed as women; neither identified as a different gender from that which they were assigned at birth. However, they were subjected to shameful, racist and prejudicial online harassment and media intrusion. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that this House should not in any way add to the inaccurate and cruel speculation but should support the IOC’s stated ruling on this matter?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I agree that it does not feel particularly helpful for your Lordships’ House to be debating a matter that is based on speculation rather than on fact. Ultimately, it is up to the international federations to determine the rules for their sports at the international level of competition. Olympic boxing was, in this instance, a matter for the IOC.

[Lord Addington (LD)]

My Lords, this is a very odd one. The IOC twice passed both these athletes, once when they were not going to win medals and once when they did. The body that raised the sanction against them has been thrown out as the organising body for boxing. Will the Government back the IOC over a body that, on review, was found to have had years of financial mismanagement, rule-breaking within the ring, and bad training for its judges and officials? Surely we are going to go with the IOC on this one.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I do not believe I have said anything to suggest that we would go against the IOC on this one. In relation to the international governance of boxing, a new international federation, World Boxing, was established in 2022. It now has 42 member national federations, including England, Scotland, Wales and a number of others from our like-minded coalition on the sports issues relating to Russia and Belarus.

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

My Lords, the International Olympic Committee has been very clear that all the women who competed in the female boxing category at this year’s Olympic Games were born as women, lived their whole lives as women and,

“comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations”.

This is not, therefore, a question about trans athletes’ participation in competitive sport. I welcome the approach the Minister has taken. Does she agree that this is, rather, an example of an international governing body regulating its sport independently? Will she join me in sending congratulations to all the men and women who represented their countries at the Olympic Games this summer?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

Absolutely. I wholeheartedly join the noble Lord in congratulating all those who were successful in their respective sports during the summer.

[Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green (CB)]

I very much thank the Minister for her answers to the questions so far and the manner in which this debate has taken place. Does the Minister agree that we would need to see, through further research, an increase in the level of scientific understanding around gender and sporting participation and a building up of the scientific evidence base, so that sporting governing bodies, rather than a Government, are able to make informed decisions when balancing inclusion with athlete safety, rather than resorting to social media in these cases?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I agree with the noble Baroness that social media is not an appropriate way of assessing athletes’ eligibility to participate in sports. Our sports councils have produced guidance providing domestic sports bodies with a framework to set their own policies for who can participate in their sports. Their guidance, which I read in preparation for this Question, is very pragmatic and based on where we are as a society. It was published after extensive consultation and a review of the existing scientific research. The guidance recognises that there need to be different solutions for different sports, and that the needs of all groups must be considered.

[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, is this not all about fairness, safety and equality for women in sport? Does the Minister not agree that the only way that we can have real equality for women’s sport is for women in the different sports to be able to compete separately from men where they do not wish to compete against men?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The sports councils’ guidance recognises the need for solutions for different sports, reflecting the points that the noble Baroness raised. It found two diametrically opposed camps, as has been reflected in the Chamber today, on the inclusion of trans women. The guidance found that you cannot easily reconcile inclusion with fairness and safety in sport; it is more straightforward with male sport. The sports councils also recognised, as I feel strongly should your Lordships’ House, that society is changing. Simply keeping the existing arrangements in sport will not accommodate inclusion and will not serve anyone well.

[Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Con)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware of a United Nations study published in August called Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport? It calculated that, by March this year, over 600 female athletes in more than 400 division events across 29 sports were defeated by trans-identifying men, who took a total of over 890 medals from female athletes. Does the Minister think that this is fair?

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[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I am not aware of that report. I will read it and respond to the noble Baroness in writing.

[Baroness Meacher (CB)]

My Lords, will the Minister assure the House that the Government will take action to ensure that biological men cannot in future compete in sports in the female category, at the Olympic level and levels below?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I repeat that the sports councils’ guidance recognises that there need to be different solutions for different sports; it is not a matter of the Government dictating to the sports councils how they should address this. The sports councils and the sports themselves need to assess the situation, take into account the differences between the different sports and make appropriate recommendations for their own sport based on up-to-date research.