Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to take steps to support the LTA’s ambition to develop covered (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) multi-sport facilities to facilitate year-round, all-weather participation.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the recently announced £400m UK Government funding for grassroots sports facilities will be allocated to facilities in Southport constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That’s why the Government is investing £98 million into the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme throughout 2025/26 to build and upgrade pitches and facilities UK wide.
On top of this, we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, and will then set out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK, including in Southport.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sports and health club facilities in England, through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on whether Sport England has published guidance on mechanisms to challenge the (a) misuse of public funds and (b) neglect of mandated responsibilities by football associations.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Sport England has mechanisms to address concerns, either in relation to Sport England funding conditions and/or the Code for Sports Governance via their published complaints procedure.
Sport England require their funding awards to be reconciled on a regular basis. This means that they have oversight of any misuse of funding, and can challenge funding recipients if this is detected.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on the development of futsal of the Football Association's level of influence in (a) FIFA and (b) UEFA.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Football Association (FA) is the governing body for football and futsal in England and is responsible for the sport's strategic direction and development, including grassroots participation, coaching, and elite pathways.
The FA is an autonomous member of both FIFA and UEFA. Its relationships and level of influence within these international governing bodies are primarily a matter for the FA itself.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will support the establishment of an independent governing body for futsal that complies with (a) FIFA and (b) UEFA regulations but operates outside of the control of the Football Association.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Internationally, FIFA and UEFA recognise the Football Association as the recognised National Governing Body (NGB) for football, including futsal, in England.
Domestic recognition of an NGB in England is a matter for Sport England in coordination as appropriate with the other UK Sports Councils (Sport Northern Ireland, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales and UK Sport).
The Sport and NGB Recognition Process is currently closed to all new applications while the UK Sports Councils undertake a review of the recognition policy and process, which is expected to re-open by Spring 2026.
Both processes operate independently of the Government.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) people and (b) organisations involved in futsal feel able to raise concerns about the conduct of (i) the Football Association and (ii) other governing bodies to the relevant authorities without fear of adverse consequences.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
England Futsal is a private company, licensed by the Football Association (FA).
In the first instance, participants should follow the complaints process of the relevant National Governing Body (NGB), including any procedures for appeal. UK Sport’s and Sport England’s complaints procedures set out how they handle complaints falling within their remits.
The Code for Sports Governance sets out the levels of transparency, diversity and inclusion, accountability and integrity that are required from sporting governing bodies, including the FA, who seek, and are in receipt of, Government and National Lottery funding from either Sport England or UK Sport.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many seaside piers there are; where those piers are located; which piers are local authority controlled; and which are privately owned.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport does not hold this information centrally. The National Piers Society can be contacted for further information on this matter at https://piers.org.uk/