Covid-19: Sports

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale Excerpts

Wednesday 13th May 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran]

I will need to write to the noble Baroness about the specifics of what engagement there has been with elite dance. Our clear aim is to set out a series of principles that will allow a return to safe training for all those engaged in elite and grass-roots sports.

[Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Lab)]

I should record my interest in the Lords’ register in relation to Scottish Athletics and the Commonwealth Games (Scotland) Endowment Fund. I would like to ask the Minister about those Scottish, Welsh, English and Northern Irish athletes either training or based in the different nations who are on UK performance funding. Will full discussions be held with the devolved Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure that all UK high-performance athletes have the same access to a return to coaching, medical facilities and training, although obviously in conditions of safe social distancing, over the coming weeks?

[Baroness Barran]

My honourable friend the Minister for Sport is co-ordinating those conversations but, again, I will raise the importance of this issue with him.