Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
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 promote the inclusion of deaf people in sport.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government recognises that there are significant benefits to participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people, including D/deaf people at both the grassroots and elite levels.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport arms length body, Sport England, has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level, build wider participation, and develop strong governance within UK Deaf Sport.
Sport England have also agreed to work with UK Deaf Sport to help to identify a small number of governing bodies that, on a trial basis, will have their talent pathways supported to be as inclusive to D/deaf athletes as possible. This work with Sport England will help open up opportunities at all levels for D/deaf people.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps with (a) Swim England and (b) British Swimming to help ensure that Para S15 swimmers (i) are able to access (A) support and (B) funding and (ii) receive acknowledgement when competing in international championships.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to championing disability sport at the highest levels, with continued support for Paralympic sports through UK Sport funding.
The UK Government currently provides support to elite athletes through funding our Arm’s Length Body, UK Sport. UK Sport in turn uses this funding to support athletes with potential to achieve success in Olympic and Paralympic sports.
Sport England have also agreed to work with UK Deaf Sport to help to identify a small number of governing bodies that, on a trial basis, will have their talent pathways supported to be as inclusive to D/deaf athletes as possible. This work with Sport England will help open up opportunities at all levels for D/deaf people.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
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 reduce barriers to entry for young deaf people in (a) sport and (b) other activities.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government recognises that there are significant benefits to participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people, including D/deaf people at both the grassroots and elite levels.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport arms length body, Sport England, has committed £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level, build wider participation, and develop strong governance within UK Deaf Sport.
Sport England have also agreed to work with UK Deaf Sport to help to identify a small number of governing bodies that, on a trial basis, will have their talent pathways supported to be as inclusive to D/deaf athletes as possible. This work with Sport England will help open up opportunities at all levels for D/deaf people.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Leader of the House on establishing an independent football regulator.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
On 23 February 2023, the Government published its ‘A Sustainable Future: Reforming Club Football Governance’ White Paper on reforms to football governance, committing to legislate for a statutory regulator for English football. This followed the Government’s Response, published in April 2022, to the independent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance.
The Government subsequently undertook a targeted consultation period, including inviting comments from all 116 football clubs in the top five tiers of English football; the relevant leagues and existing footballing bodies; fan groups; legal experts; industry experts; leading academics; and civil society organisations. The Government Response was published on 7 September 2023.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
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 introduce a shadow non-statutory independent football regulator.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are actively exploring the extent to which preparatory work can be done ahead of the Regulator being established in law, which could take the form of a shadow non-statutory body. This is being considered and a decision will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper entitled A sustainable future - reforming club football governance, published on 23 February 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the establishment of a shadow board of fans as a condition of the football club licensing process.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The football governance white paper set out how we will put fans back at the heart of football.
The Independent Football Regulator will introduce strong new legal protections to safeguard the heritage of clubs and ensure fans’ voices are heard. Clubs will not be able to make changes to their badge or home shirt colours without explicit fan approval. The Government has worked with the FA to ensure these protections are in place now, and the Regulator will act as a statutory backstop to ensure this cannot change.
The Regulator must approve any proposal to move or sell the stadium, and must consider the views of fans and impact on club heritage where a relocation is sought. Clubs can only participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.
This will provide fans with irreversible, strong legal protections to prevent damage to the most important aspects of their clubs.
The Government is committed to delivering on the Football Governance White Paper and will legislate where parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper entitled A sustainable future - reforming club football governance, published on 23 February 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring fans to be given a golden share as a condition of the football club licensing process.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The football governance white paper set out how we will put fans back at the heart of football.
The Independent Football Regulator will introduce strong new legal protections to safeguard the heritage of clubs and ensure fans’ voices are heard. Clubs will not be able to make changes to their badge or home shirt colours without explicit fan approval. The Government has worked with the FA to ensure these protections are in place now, and the Regulator will act as a statutory backstop to ensure this cannot change.
The Regulator must approve any proposal to move or sell the stadium, and must consider the views of fans and impact on club heritage where a relocation is sought. Clubs can only participate in competitions which are approved by the Regulator against a set of published criteria. This will prevent English clubs from joining unapproved breakaway leagues such as the European Super League.
This will provide fans with irreversible, strong legal protections to prevent damage to the most important aspects of their clubs.
The Government is committed to delivering on the Football Governance White Paper and will legislate where parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the prevalence of degenerative brain conditions in former rugby union players.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The safety, wellbeing, and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is paramount. My department is committed to working alongside the Department for Health and Social Care on issues relating to head injuries in sport, and have ongoing official level engagement on this issue.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has worked with sporting bodies and others to develop a single set of shared concussion guidelines for grassroots sport across the UK, which were published on 28 April 2023. We continue to encourage sports governing bodies to adapt the guidelines to their own sport where appropriate.
Further research on the links between health, dementia and contact sport is needed to better understand the issue. My department has established a new Sports Concussion Research Forum to identify key research questions that need answering in this important area.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the policy paper entitled A sustainable future - reforming club football governance, published on 23 February 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring an equality, diversity and inclusion action plan as a condition of the football club licensing process.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government supports calls for further action to be taken on a range of issues in the domestic game, including equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome the industry’s ongoing efforts to improve transparency and its commitment to provide equity and fair opportunities for all. Since the publication of the Fan-Led Review, the football leagues and the FA have introduced enhanced equality requirements for football clubs.
The Government acknowledges that there is still more progress to be made and will continue to work with the leagues, the FA, and other organisations to encourage reform where appropriate.
However, as set out in the White Paper and the government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee consultation, the primary strategic purpose of the Regulator will be to ensure that English football is sustainable and resilient for the benefit of fans and the local communities that football clubs serve. As such, the Regulator will focus on the financial sustainability of clubs, the systemic stability of the football pyramid and protecting club heritage.
Action on wider issues, including equality, diversity and inclusion, is best led by industry.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women’s football.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
It has been well documented that female football players are around three times more likely to suffer an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury than their male counterparts.
The Review of Women’s Football, published in July this year, examined the strategic priorities for the development of women's football and made recommendations on the future direction of the women's game. It highlighted the lack of sport exercise and scientific research which currently exists in women’s sport and that only 6% of sport exercise and science research involves only women. This lack of awareness means female athletes are often not being given the protection, expertise and support they need.
The Government has been speaking to the football authorities on all matters within the review, and is due to respond to the review in the autumn. We will address ACL injuries directly in that response, holding relevant stakeholders to account for action around player welfare.