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Scheduled Event - 10 Feb 2026, 9:30 a.m. - Add to calendar
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Commons - Westminster Hall debate - Westminster Hall
Independent Water Commission Final Report
MP: Edward Morello
Written Question
Rugby: South West
Friday 23rd January 2026

Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made on the financial pressures on grassroots rugby clubs in the South West.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.


Written Question
Rugby: West Dorset
Friday 23rd January 2026

Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the financial sustainability of grassroots rugby clubs in West Dorset.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.


Written Question
Rugby: West Dorset
Friday 23rd January 2026

Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department is providing to grassroots rugby clubs in West Dorset.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.


Written Question
Companies: Debts Written Off
Friday 23rd January 2026

Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of regulations allowing people whose companies’ debts are written off to retain personal wealth on public confidence in (a) fraud investigation and (b) public bodies.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

There are no plans for any such assessment.

Companies are separate legal entities from their directors; those directors only become liable for company debts in limited circumstances. This protection encourages entrepreneurship and is central to the health of the UK economy.

Most companies become insolvent for genuine reasons, however insolvency office-holders have wide powers to recover funds from directors who have not acted in the company’s best interests. The Insolvency Service may also take disqualification action against reckless or dishonest directors and can apply for a compensation order against them, as well as prosecute breaches of company and insolvency legislation.


Division Vote (Commons)
22 Jan 2026 - Railways Bill (Third sitting) - View Vote Context
Edward Morello (LD) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 2 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 0 Liberal Democrat No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 5 Noes - 10
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 22 Jan 2026
Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)

"I will speak to new clause 20, which makes the simple ask that Great British Railways does all it can not to contribute to the climate crisis. I hope it is uncontroversial, because the bits of legislation that we are asking for GBR to adhere to are the Environment Act …..."
Edward Morello - View Speech

View all Edward Morello (LD - West Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)

Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 22 Jan 2026
Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)

"It is excellent reading—something for the train on the way home. It lays out why the passenger charter is so key to delivering a better experience for rail users. The Committee will spend a lot of time talking about rail upgrades, shorter journeys, passing loops and all the things that …..."
Edward Morello - View Speech

View all Edward Morello (LD - West Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)

Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 22 Jan 2026
Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)

"I speak in support of my hon. Friend the Member for Didcot and Wantage’s passenger charter. I recommend that any Member who was otherwise engaged to go and listen to his ten-minute rule Bill, which outlined it in far greater detail than I will today...."
Edward Morello - View Speech

View all Edward Morello (LD - West Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)

Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 22 Jan 2026
Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)

"I could not possibly comment, Minister—I was going to say tea. But there are basic human rights that we should be respecting here—and a gin and tonic might be one of them.

On rail journeys lasting more than two hours, access to food and drink is a basic expectation. As …..."

Edward Morello - View Speech

View all Edward Morello (LD - West Dorset) contributions to the debate on: Railways Bill (Fourth sitting)