Oral Answers to Questions

John Whitby Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lisa Nandy]

The shadow Secretary of State knows that this is important to this Government. These incredible buildings and places of worship stand at the centre of our communities, and it matters deeply that we preserve and protect them. But he will also know that there were serious challenges with the previous scheme, including the fact that his Government left the economy in such a parlous state that there was no funding available going forward, despite their commitments. We have committed to a new scheme that ensures we can get funding to not just those places that can already raise the money for their own buildings but those places where money is in short supply. We are designing that scheme and will bring forward details of it shortly.

[John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)]

T4. A growing number of ex-footballers are suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a form of dementia caused by repeated heading of the ball. These ex-players feel let down by the Professional Footballers’ Association, which has only provided support for those suffering from CTE once funding from the NHS, social services and family assets has been exhausted, leaving taxpayers rather than football bodies footing the bill for care. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that our heroes of the game are given appropriate support in their hour of need and that competition organisers provide adequate funding for ex-players with CTE?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I know this is a concern to Members across the House—I have met and corresponded with a number of them. It is an issue that is incredibly important to both me and the Secretary of State, who met with players impacted by this to hear their stories. I will be hosting a roundtable discussion shortly with the football bodies to explore what more can be done. Our priority is for the football authorities to provide greater clarity on the available funding and to ensure enough money is available to provide those impacted with the support they need.