Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's consultation on the statutory levy on gambling operators, published on 17 October 2023, for what reason the proposed statutory levy rate for remote pools betting was set at 1%.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Higher rates of problem gambling are associated with certain products, particularly those online, compared to most land-based products. We want to take this into account in the design of the statutory levy, as well as the higher operating costs in the land-based sector. Public Health England’s evidence review of gambling-related harms, based on Health Survey data, showed football pools to have a 'problem gambling' rate of 5%, which is higher than the population level which has been at or below 1% for the past 20 years.
The consultation on the design of the statutory levy opened on 17 October and has now closed. Our consultation specifically invited views on the question of levy rates so that the Government has the best available evidence to inform our final policy decisions on the structure of the levy. The Government is carefully considering the evidence received, and we will publish our response to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Premier League on its financial fair play rules; and what assessment she has made as to whether future legislation should include penalties for breaching financial fair play rules.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Premier League’s financial fair play rules are a matter for the Premier League and will not be will not be covered by the Football Regulator, which will have a tightly defined scope around ensuring financial sustainability. The Football Regulator will not involve itself in sporting matters or league rules, recognising the Government’s long standing respect for the autonomy of sport.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the independent regulator should have jurisdiction over (a) breaches alleged by the Guardian by the previous owner of Chelsea Roman Abramovitch and (b) other breaches of the financial fair play rules.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Premier League’s financial fair play rules are a matter for the Premier League and will not be will not be covered by the Football Regulator, which will have a tightly defined scope around ensuring financial sustainability. The Football Regulator will not involve itself in sporting matters or league rules, recognising the Government’s long standing respect for the autonomy of sport.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to give the Football Regulator the (a) powers and (b) resources to regulate clubs to ensure any breaches of financial fair play rules are (i) identified and (ii) punished.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Premier League’s financial fair play rules are a matter for the Premier League and will not be will not be covered by the Football Regulator, which will have a tightly defined scope around ensuring financial sustainability. The Football Regulator will not involve itself in sporting matters or league rules, recognising the Government’s long standing respect for the autonomy of sport.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the Fan Led Review of Football Governance.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government published its response to the recommendations of the Fan Led Review of Football Governance in April 2022 and we recognise the need for football to be reformed to ensure the game’s sustainability in the long term.
We are now taking the time to consider the policy. We remain committed to publishing a White Paper setting out our detailed response to the Fan Led Review in due course.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many funds are allocated to local authorities by his Department through a process of competitive bidding; and if he will publish the names of those funds.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As part of its broader decentralisation agenda, the government has been intentionally reducing ring fenced funding streams. We believe that providing councils with the freedom to use funding in a way that responds to local needs and priorities is key to supporting financial sustainability and sound financial management.
DCMS currently administers five funds which are competitively allocated and which include local authorities as recipients. These are:
Cultural Investment Fund
Invests in cultural infrastructure, local museums and neighbourhood libraries to benefit communities across the country.
UK City of Culture
Invites places across the UK to set out their vision for culture-led regeneration and takes place every four years. Awards were made to local authorities to enable them to strengthen their final applications.
5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “Urban Connected Communities Project”
Trials new 5G services and applications to individuals and businesses.
5G Testbeds and Trials Programme “5G Create” scheme
Aims to explore and develop new use-cases and 5G technical capabilities.
Rural Connected Communities competition
Funds 5G research and development projects.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent reports he has received from the football authorities on the steps they were taking to eradicate racial abuse from the game.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government continues to liaise closely and regularly with all the football authorities about their work to tackle discrimination. This includes actions targeted at and around football grounds, such as improving reporting systems, providing better training and support for referees and stewards, and improving the quality of CCTV around stadia.
We also welcomed the launch of The FA’s ‘Football Leadership Diversity Code’ last year which is a step in the right direction to ensure English football better represents our modern and diverse society, on and off the pitch.
In January, the Government convened a roundtable with footballers, alongside the Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board and the Professional Footballers’ Association, to discuss social media abuse and the upcoming Online Safety Bill.
However, there is still progress to be made and the Government will continue to press the football authorities to build on their work to date to tackle discrimination.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he last requested a report from the football authorities on the steps they are taking to eradicate racism from the game.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government continues to liaise closely and regularly with all the football authorities about their work to tackle discrimination. This includes actions targeted at and around football grounds, such as improving reporting systems, providing better training and support for referees and stewards, and improving the quality of CCTV around stadia.
We also welcomed the launch of The FA’s ‘Football Leadership Diversity Code’ last year which is a step in the right direction to ensure English football better represents our modern and diverse society, on and off the pitch.
In January, the Government convened a roundtable with footballers, alongside the Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board and the Professional Footballers’ Association, to discuss social media abuse and the upcoming Online Safety Bill.
However, there is still progress to be made and the Government will continue to press the football authorities to build on their work to date to tackle discrimination.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he was made aware that Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts wrote in January 2021 to the (a) Premier League and (b) English Football League requesting that they work together to tackle racist abuse against players; and will he make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The department is in regular contact with the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Lead, and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) across a range of issues including tackling discrimination.
I understand the Premier League and English Football League also meet frequently with the UKFPU, including recently with social media companies to focus on tackling online abuse, and hope they will continue to do so as we work together to rid this abhorrent behaviour from the game and society.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he last had discussions with Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts on football matters.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The department is in regular contact with the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Lead, and the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) across a range of issues including tackling discrimination.
I understand the Premier League and English Football League also meet frequently with the UKFPU, including recently with social media companies to focus on tackling online abuse, and hope they will continue to do so as we work together to rid this abhorrent behaviour from the game and society.