Louie French

The Secretary of State and I have met with clubs, leagues, governing bodies, fan groups and many other stakeholders from across the game on numerous occasions to discuss the Football Governance Bill. Most recently, we held a series of meetings in March 2025 including with the Premier League, the English Football League and the National League. This is in addition to frequent, regular meetings that officials in my department have with these and other important stakeholders.

The Government recognises that sports clubs and facilities are important to communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, should have access to them and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.

All future funding of sports facilities beyond 2025/26 will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

The Government recognises that sports clubs and facilities are important to communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, should have access to them and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.

All future funding of sports facilities beyond 2025/26 will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

The Government recognises that sports clubs and facilities are important to communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, should have access to them and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.

All future funding of sports facilities beyond 2025/26 will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

The consultation on the tax treatment of remote gambling is a matter for HM Treasury. I would encourage all interested stakeholders to respond to this consultation, which runs until 21 July. The department continues to engage with His Majesty’s Treasury and if any legislative changes are made to gambling duty following the consultation, they will be accompanied by a tax information and impact note from HM Treasury, as is standard practice.

DCMS regularly engages with Members of Parliament, local authorities, the gambling industry, and members of the public on issues such as adult gaming centres. The Government uses various data sources to assess policies and impacts, including data provided by the Gambling Commission and the industry, a range of research findings, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to the economy and communities such as seaside towns, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. But, as set out in the Minister for Gambling’s recent correspondence with the sector, we are also aware of concerns about how the adult gaming centre sector protects vulnerable people, and we will seek further assurance on how the sector is addressing these concerns. We will continue to work with the whole land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues and to support a growing gambling industry.

DCMS regularly engages with Members of Parliament, local authorities, the gambling industry, and members of the public on issues such as adult gaming centres. The Government uses various data sources to assess policies and impacts, including data provided by the Gambling Commission and the industry, a range of research findings, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to the economy and communities such as seaside towns, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. But, as set out in the Minister for Gambling’s recent correspondence with the sector, we are also aware of concerns about how the adult gaming centre sector protects vulnerable people, and we will seek further assurance on how the sector is addressing these concerns. We will continue to work with the whole land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues and to support a growing gambling industry.

DCMS regularly engages with Members of Parliament, local authorities, the gambling industry, and members of the public on issues such as adult gaming centres. The Government uses various data sources to assess policies and impacts, including data provided by the Gambling Commission and the industry, a range of research findings, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to the economy and communities such as seaside towns, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. But, as set out in the Minister for Gambling’s recent correspondence with the sector, we are also aware of concerns about how the adult gaming centre sector protects vulnerable people, and we will seek further assurance on how the sector is addressing these concerns. We will continue to work with the whole land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues and to support a growing gambling industry.

DCMS regularly engages with Members of Parliament, local authorities, the gambling industry, and members of the public on issues such as adult gaming centres. The Government uses various data sources to assess policies and impacts, including data provided by the Gambling Commission and the industry, a range of research findings, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to the economy and communities such as seaside towns, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. But, as set out in the Minister for Gambling’s recent correspondence with the sector, we are also aware of concerns about how the adult gaming centre sector protects vulnerable people, and we will seek further assurance on how the sector is addressing these concerns. We will continue to work with the whole land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues and to support a growing gambling industry.

DCMS regularly engages with Members of Parliament, local authorities, the gambling industry, and members of the public on issues such as adult gaming centres. The Government uses various data sources to assess policies and impacts, including data provided by the Gambling Commission and the industry, a range of research findings, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to the economy and communities such as seaside towns, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. But, as set out in the Minister for Gambling’s recent correspondence with the sector, we are also aware of concerns about how the adult gaming centre sector protects vulnerable people, and we will seek further assurance on how the sector is addressing these concerns. We will continue to work with the whole land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues and to support a growing gambling industry.

DCMS regularly engages with Members of Parliament, local authorities, the gambling industry, and members of the public on issues such as adult gaming centres. The Government uses various data sources to assess policies and impacts, including data provided by the Gambling Commission and the industry, a range of research findings, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to the economy and communities such as seaside towns, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. But, as set out in the Minister for Gambling’s recent correspondence with the sector, we are also aware of concerns about how the adult gaming centre sector protects vulnerable people, and we will seek further assurance on how the sector is addressing these concerns. We will continue to work with the whole land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues and to support a growing gambling industry.

DCMS regularly engages with Members of Parliament, local authorities, the gambling industry, and members of the public on issues such as adult gaming centres. The Government uses various data sources to assess policies and impacts, including data provided by the Gambling Commission and the industry, a range of research findings, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to the economy and communities such as seaside towns, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. But, as set out in the Minister for Gambling’s recent correspondence with the sector, we are also aware of concerns about how the adult gaming centre sector protects vulnerable people, and we will seek further assurance on how the sector is addressing these concerns. We will continue to work with the whole land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues and to support a growing gambling industry.

The government’s priority is to ensure funding is directed where it is needed most to deliver our objective to further understand and reduce gambling-related harms. DCMS and HMT Ministers have powers to decide how funding is divided between three key strands of work: research, prevention and treatment, and we are establishing robust governance structures to ensure the core aims of the levy are met within each of these strands.

Decisions on how levy funds are spent within research, prevention and treatment lie with commissioning leads. We want a range of expertise, including that of lived experience, to inform commissioning bodies’ efforts to deliver on the government’s objectives across research, prevention and treatment. Commissioning bodies are working at pace to develop spending plans and will update in due course.

The government’s priority is to ensure funding is directed where it is needed most to deliver our objective to further understand and reduce gambling-related harms. DCMS and HMT Ministers have powers to decide how funding is divided between three key strands of work: research, prevention and treatment, and we are establishing robust governance structures to ensure the core aims of the levy are met within each of these strands.

Decisions on how levy funds are spent within research, prevention and treatment lie with commissioning leads. We are now working closely with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to set an ambitious and independent research agenda, and set the right scope for the future Centre on Gambling. The third sector will also continue to play a key role across the future system, including on research.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not maintain a formal record of the time spent by DCMS Ministers in the department's offices. Ministers' diaries are managed by their individual Private Offices and while Private Office staff do hold information within ministerial diaries, this information is not quantified for record-keeping purposes. It is also the case that the department does not routinely release information relating to the operation of ministerial Private Offices.

On appointment to the role in 2023, the Permanent Secretary declared her interests and these were recorded in the DCMS Annual Accounts. A conflict management plan was completed which deemed it appropriate that Accounting Officer responsibility for decisions regarding Rugby Union would be delegated. This included Loan Book decisions relating to Rugby Union.

As a result, DCMS’s Chief Finance Officer has delegated Accounting Officer responsibility for matters relating to Rugby Union. This is in line with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money guidance which states that after declaring the conflict other individuals can have delegated responsibility to make decisions.

My Department regularly engages with the Department for Business and Trade on a range of issues relating to the implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024.

The Department for Business and Trade’s consultation on the implementation of these measures closed on 10 February 2025, and they are currently analysing responses.

Ministers visit the DCMS office in Manchester as their diaries permit. Most recently, all four DCMS Ministers visited the Manchester office on 10 April.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engages with the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on a range of issues.

The responsibility for planning requirements and permission lies with local planning authorities (LPA) through the local authority.

It is a priority that in this crucial transition period, valuable support and treatment services for those experiencing gambling-related harm are protected. To ensure there is no disruption, operators must continue to provide financial contributions at their current levels until the levy is in force, and we have received reassurances from the industry that this will be delivered.

In addition, following the end of the current funding arrangement in line with the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) SR code 3.1.1, the levy will come into force in April this year with funding flowing for research, prevention and treatment as soon as possible. We will ensure funding is directed in a way which protects key services as the new support and treatment system is established.

The matter of football ticket prices is a commercial decision for individual clubs and leagues to take. The Government has introduced legislation to establish an Independent Football Regulator to protect and promote the sustainability of English football in the interests of fans and the local communities football clubs serve. This will mean that clubs are required to consult fans on key issues, including ticket prices.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) assesses any loan reprofiling requests on a case by case basis, working alongside our Loan Agents, who continuously monitor the financial performance of borrowers. Requests will be considered where borrowers demonstrate evidence of need and have exhausted other funding routes. The Department has reprofiled individual loans of fewer than five borrowers (<5%) under the Culture Recovery Fund, Sport Survival Package and Rugby Football League Loan Scheme.

DCMS is not able to comment on specific cases.

The Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport and the Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts from the Department for Education on a range of issues, including school sport.

The School Games Organisers are essential in ensuring that all children have the opportunity to take part in local and accessible sport and physical activity. The Government has confirmed funding for the School Games Organisers (SGOs) until the end of the 2024/25 Academic Year. Funding beyond then will be confirmed in due course, with funding from April 2026 onwards subject to the ongoing Spending Review.

All senior staff appointments to the Shadow Football Regulator have followed the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and this will continue to be the case once the regulator is legally established; however, the criteria used for selection will always be dependent on the role being advertised. The Chief Executive Officer will be appointed by the Chair following a fair and open competition expected later this year.

The assessment criteria for the appointments of the Chair and Non-Executive Directors were advertised on the government appointments website. The process is being run in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

This Government has set out a bold and ambitious agenda for change and sport has an important role to play in delivering this. Sport and physical activity are central to delivering the Government's health mission as being physically active is good for both our physical and mental health.

The National Physical Activity Taskforce (NPAT) was established under the previous government. The NPAT last met on Wednesday 25 March 2024 and we have no plans to reconvene that group.

Instead, as a mission led Government we intend to work through the Health Mission Board to bring together a range of Departments to tackle fundamental issues including high levels of inactivity; and with the sector to secure their support. We will be setting out our holistic approach as part of the Spending Review process.

As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, the levy will come into force in April 2025 and 50% of levy funding (up to £50 million) will be allocated to NHS services in England, and the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, for support and treatment services in the financial year 2025/26.

The Gambling Commission publishes annual and quarterly data on the type and number of complaints received to the Gambling Commission Contact Centre on their website. In 2024 the Gambling Commission received 6896 complaints.

The Secretary of State regularly discusses Departmental spending with HM Treasury Ministers. Future funding of sports facilities will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

We remain committed to delivering international events with pride, showcasing the UK’s expertise, generating significant socio-economic benefits and inspiring the next generation’s talent. We expect any bids to host major sporting events which are seeking government support to provide evidence that accessibility has been considered from the earliest stage.

The Government's expert arm’s-length body, UK Sport, has committed to consult on the accessibility of ticketing to major events, with a view of protecting the social and cultural value of live sport to all communities across the UK as part of their strategy Making Live Sport Matter. In order to support the delivery of the strategy, UK Sport are currently working with partners with expertise on accessibility to drive understanding and best practice. This is in addition to work taking place on trialling spectator communication resources at events for visually impaired and blind visitors.

The Sports Ground Safety Authority, a Government arm’s-length body and the world leader in stadium safety, has published a free Accessible Stadia document and Supplementary Guidance to help deliver high-quality grounds with facilities and services that are accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all.

The Government has also ratified the St Denis Convention, reinforcing our commitment to providing an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events. Ensuring that all fans are able to participate is a key element of service, and something we will continue to champion.

This Government recognises the significant economic and social benefits major sporting events provide to the UK. UK Sport, our expert arm’s-length body, works with those hosting major sporting events to ensure they all have a robust social impact and legacy plan, and an evaluation to help identify and quantify those socio-economic benefits.

The UK has been proud to host the Commonwealth Games twice since 2014, and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games delivered at least £1.2bn economic value to the UK.

The Glasgow 2026 Organising Company has confirmed that delivery of the Games will include £6 million of facility investment into the city's existing sporting venues, including a new athletics track at Scotstoun Stadium and upgrades to Tollcross International Swimming Centre, which will benefit local communities. It is also anticipated that 3,000 volunteers - the vast majority of which are expected to be from Glasgow - will be recruited and trained. The Organising Company is also working with city partners on a Glasgow cultural programme. I recently met with the CEO and Chair of Glasgow 26 and attended the launch of the Kings Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace, and will continue to engage and support on plans for the successful delivery of the Games.

In 2028, the UK and Ireland will host UEFA EURO 2028. It will be the biggest sporting event the UK and Ireland have ever jointly hosted. Government and Football Partners are committing c.£45m to a central Legacy and Impact fund, which will deliver socio-economic benefits for communities across the UK and Ireland.

This Government recognises the vital role that charities play up and down the country, by providing crucial support to different groups and communities.

DCMS supports charities in several ways. This includes delivery of a number of grant schemes, such as the £25.5m Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is supporting frontline organisations across England to improve their energy efficiency and sustainability.

Support for charities is also available through social investment which provides access to grants, repayable finance and a blend of the two. This government is continuing to look at how dormant assets can be used to support the availability of finance to facilitate VCSEs becoming more entrepreneurial and financially resilient. An estimated £350 million will flow into the Dormant Assets Scheme between 2024-28, with details on how this money will be distributed to be provided in due course.

Within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving. The tax reliefs available to charities are a vital element in supporting charitable causes across the UK, with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities. The biggest individual reliefs provided are Gift Aid at £1.6 billion and business rates relief at nearly £2.4 billion.

The Government remains committed to delivering major international sporting events with pride - building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in event delivery. - and seeking new opportunities to do so.

We recognise that major events deliver significant economic and social benefits as well as an opportunity to showcase the UK globally. We look forward to delivering a series of major events before the end of the decade, including the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, the European Athletics Championships, Invictus Games, Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup and Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2026,the UEFA European Championships in 2028, and the men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2030.

The Government is working with UK Sport and other partners in order to identify and secure major sporting event targets into the future, in order to to build a pipeline of events up until 2035 and beyond. This includes supporting a potential UK bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

It is a priority that in this crucial transition period, the valuable experience and services in the current system are protected. We are clear that operators must continue to provide financial contributions at their current levels until the levy is in force, and have received reassurances from the industry that this will be delivered. The levy will come into force in April this year with funding flowing for research, prevention and treatment as soon as possible. We are clear that levy funding will be directed to ensure the third sector continues to play a key role across the future system.

As set out in the government’s consultation response, section 123 of the Gambling Act 2005 is clear that statutory levy funding will be ringfenced for gambling-related purposes and all spending is subject to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and HM Treasury approval. We will ensure robust governance processes for the levy system as a whole to ensure that funding allocated for research, prevention and treatment to the lead commissioning bodies we have appointed is being used in line with the government’s objectives.

The Government has published a consultation on introducing new consumer protections on the resale of live events tickets, including sporting events such as the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. The consultation, which closes on 4th April, includes a range of proposals, including a price cap on resales and new requirements on resale platforms.

Over 220,000 tickets have already been sold for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, double the number bought for the previous tournament in New Zealand 2022. These early ticket sales demonstrate the demand for women’s sport in this country.

World Rugby have urged fans to only buy tickets for the tournament via official channels. Fans purchasing tickets from unofficial sources risk having match tickets cancelled and being refused entry to match venues. Tickets will be issued and distributed closer to the tournament, and an official resale service will be available in the coming months.

Everyone has the right to express themselves and share ideas without interference from the government. This right is protected by Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

We are committed to freedom of speech, including in the creative and cultural sectors, and the Secretary of State has expressed an unequivocal ambition that the era of the government stoking “culture wars” should be over.

The Government is dedicated to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport. Female role models are vital in encouraging more girls to get active and find a route into the sports they enjoy.

We welcome the continued growth of the Formula 1 Academy in providing opportunities for young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition in motorsport, and are supportive of its focus on uncovering the next generation of young female drivers.

I also recognise the work organisations such as Motorsport UK and the British Women’s Racing Drivers Club are taking forward to increase female participation within the sport.

In the broader field of motorsport, I also recently met with Formula One to congratulate them on their amazing 75th anniversary last month. This milestone provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the sport’s long history in the UK, of which we are very proud, and we will continue to work closely with them to see how best we can further support the success story of Formula One in the UK.

We want a thriving sector, with robust National Governing Bodies (NGBs) that can use their nationwide remit to deliver sport to people across the country. Sustainable investment is important for achieving this. The Hundred will see additional investment into grassroots cricket from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which is welcomed.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport, including cricket, at grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.

Sport England provides long term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, the National Governing Body for cricket, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives. This is a separate consideration to the Hundred sale.

As was the case under the previous government, the Department does not share private correspondence provided to us, including by international organisations.

This Government fully endorses the recommendations of Karen Carney OBE’s Independent Review of Women’s Football, including the recommendation to form a Board of Women’s Sport.

The Minister for Sport held a meeting with all stakeholders responsible for implementing the Carney Review in November, and will shortly reconvene groups to focus on specific elements of the review in order to drive tangible progress.

The Board of Women’s Sport will be reconvened in spring 2025 to ensure adoption of best practice in key areas and to make sure the learnings of the review, alongside emerging issues, can be explored across the sector.

The Government recognises the emotive and financial significance of the FA Cup, especially for smaller clubs.

The matter of FA Cup scheduling, including replays, is ultimately a matter for the football authorities. We expect the FA and Premier League to consult with the EFL and other leagues further down the pyramid on moves such as this and reach agreements collectively.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport, including player welfare.

In 2023, Karen Carney OBE published a major Independent Review of Women’s Football. The Review placed a significant emphasis on the importance of player welfare and recommended uplifting the medical support requirements within licensing criteria, as well as extending players’ access to medical provision for a period of six months following retirement. The Review also highlighted the importance of performance psychologists within high-performance sports. It recommended that this role become mandatory, to provide players with a clearly identifiable route, should they wish to raise any concerns regarding their wellbeing.

This Government fully endorses those recommendations and looks forward to ensuring tangible progress is made. The Minister for Sport met with women’s football stakeholders - including the FA and the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) - in November 2024 to advise them of her intent to track progress against the Review recommendations. At this meeting, the Minister emphasised the importance of the welfare and duty of care to players, and advised stakeholders that she is keen to drive progress in this area. The Minister will shortly reconvene the group to understand progress against the recommendations of the Review, including around mental health provision for players.

Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game, and provides vital funds that filter down to the grassroots game. County level and international cricket competition formatting, and consideration of its impact, is the responsibility of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The listed events regime aims to ensure many of the nation's biggest sporting events are free-to-air wherever possible while protecting competition organisers' ability to raise income from the sale of broadcast rights to invest in their sports. The government has no plans to amend the regime at this time.