Independent Football Regulator

Lord Harlech Excerpts

Wednesday 28th October 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Harlech]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what oversight they intend to exercise over the budget of the Independent Football Regulator following its proposal for a levy of £20.3 million a year, around double the amount originally estimated.

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

My Lords, the Government are proud of the success of football in this country, so I start by congratulating England captain Harry Kane on winning the Ballon d’Or this week.

The Independent Football Regulator, led by its board, rightly sets its budget independently of government. The regulator is currently consulting on its proposed levy, and we encourage football to engage fully so that the levy is shaped by those paying it. The proposed levy represents 0.2% of football’s annual revenues of £9 billion last year. As a public body, the regulator is subject to standard guidance and controls and will lay its annual report before Parliament.

[Lord Harlech (Con)]

My Lords, the regulator’s proposed operating costs have doubled already, and it is not even operational yet. That is together with a set-up cost of £45 million over 10 years, which was in no part of the original estimate. These are exactly the kind of problems that these Benches raised during the passage of the Bill and we were admonished, in this House and in the press, for slowing the Bill down. What powers do the Government hold to challenge the regulator’s budget before the levy begins next season and how will Parliament be able to scrutinise those costs once central funding ends?

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

As I mentioned before, the proposed levy represents 0.2% of football’s annual revenues of £9 billion last year. We believe that this is affordable by football. The budget is set by the regulator as an independent regulator. It will lay its report to Parliament to allow scrutiny of that. The State of the Game report, published only recently, underlines the need for change and for this regulator.