Oral Answers to Questions

Louise Haigh Excerpts

Thursday 16th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

There is no doubt at least one in every colleague’s constituency.

[Louise Haigh (Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)]

8. What recent discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the cost to police forces of policing football matches outside the stadium.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Tracey Crouch)]

My officials and I have regular conversations with the Home Office on matters relating to football and other sporting events, including counter-terrorism, security and policing matters.

[Louise Haigh]

I am very grateful for the Minister’s response. The cost to the Met of policing premier league football last year was almost £7 million, but the clubs contributed only £360,000. Given that they draw in more than £240 million every match day, is it not high time that premier league clubs were paying their full share to overstretched police forces?

[Tracey Crouch]

Football clubs do make a significant contribution to policing costs for home matches, and the Premier League and the clubs themselves contributed more than £2.4 billion to the public finances. We have to recognise that there are parameters as to policing costs and where these can be recovered from. I know that recent High Court cases have determined that, based on existing legislation, the police are not entitled to charge for these special police services where they are deployed on public land. That court decision has implications for what the police can charge, but we work with both the Premier League and the clubs on a host of policing matters, and I am sure that will continue.