Sports Grounds Safety Authority Bill (Money)

Jonathan Lord Excerpts

Monday 15th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Jonathan Lord (Woking) (Con)]

I am grateful to the Minister for moving the motion and supporting my Bill, and to the shadow Minister for his guarded support at this stage. I hope that we can make that the Opposition’s full support in due course. I hope also that the House will allow the Bill to proceed into Committee.

The Football Licensing Authority was set up by the Football Spectators Act 1989 in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster. Over subsequent years, the authority and its key personnel have gained an extremely good reputation for their expertise and experience in football ground safety, but the organisation has been forced to turn down requests from other sports and sports grounds for safety advice, as its existing statutory remit extends only to football—even though those seeking that advice had indicated their willingness to pay.

The increased advisory role that the Bill proposes will usually be provided at no additional cost to the organisation or to the public purse. The sports grounds safety authority will be able to charge to recover its costs for providing advice about the safety of sports grounds, but that will be with the consent of the Secretary of State, and there will be no requirement for the authority to offer its advice.

A charge for the authority’s advice will not always be appropriate or necessary, for example when giving one-off, informal views, so such costs will be easily absorbed by the authority’s existing resources.

As the Minister explained, his Department is committed to funding for the FLA of just under £1.2 million a year, and that figure should not have to rise as a result of the Bill. The Bill will allow the sports grounds safety authority to generate additional income streams, especially from advice to other sports. Charges for that advice will not be allowed to generate profits, but the authority will be able to include an element of fixed and running costs, thereby relieving pressure on public funding.

In particular, the Bill will enable the authority to become fully involved with safety advice and guidance to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and to local authorities in relation to the 2012 Olympic venues. As we prepare to welcome the rest of the world to our shores for the Olympic and Paralympic games, I trust that the House will approve the motion and, in due course, the Bill in order to help to ensure that the games are as safe as we can possibly make them. I commend the motion to the House.

Question put and agreed to.