European Women’s Football Championship: Girls and Young Women

Stuart Andrew Excerpts

Wednesday 9th November 2022 Westminster Hall

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

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. I thank and congratulate the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) for securing this important debate. Let me say at the outset that I have made this issue a huge priority for me in this role. I am passionate about making sure that all sports are inclusive. I echo some of her points about the forthcoming World cup and share many of her concerns. This morning I met the Qatari ambassador. I sought assurances that the “Everyone is welcome” message is meant, and that fans will find that when they get to Qatar. I also raised the frankly unacceptable comments that Khalid Salman made yesterday; I made my views very clear indeed.

[Hannah Bardell]

I put on the record my thanks to the Minister for doing that, and for raising his concerns, which many of us share, about the treatment of LGBT fans at the World cup. I appreciate that this Government did not have anything to do with the corruption that led to Qatar being chosen to hold the World cup, but I hope that all parliamentarians will consider how we will lobby such Governments and make sure that they do not get to hold international sporting competitions, and hold a place on the world stage, when they treat people from LGBT communities in such a way.

[Stuart Andrew]

I think that the hon. Lady will know that this issue will continue to be high on my agenda. The Government are fully committed to supporting women’s sport at every opportunity, and to pushing for greater participation, employment and commercial opportunities in women’s sport, and for greater visibility both in the media and, as was mentioned, in this House. Let me start by wishing the Red Roses the very best of luck for the rugby union world cup final this weekend.

I am delighted to take on the role of Minister for sport at such an exciting time, and I look forward to making real progress on issues that I feel very passionately about, such as equality and diversity. Overall, I can see that there has been clear progress in a number of areas, but it is also clear that we have a long way to go. I am determined to strive for greater equality and opportunity for girls and women.

I join the hon. Member for Twickenham in celebrating the wonderful success that we witnessed in women’s sport this summer, when our very own Lionesses beat the German team at Wembley to lift the UEFA European championship trophy, teaching the men a thing or two. That inspirational tournament was staged in July in venues across England, from Rotherham and Wigan down to Southampton and Brighton.

So many records were broken during the tournament, but I will just mention two outstanding examples. The final at Wembley was attended by a crowd of over 87,000 people. That was a record for a women’s international game in Europe, and it broke new ground for a women’s or men’s Euro final tournament game. The tournament also became the most watched women’s Euros ever, with a global cumulative live viewership of 365 million across TV, out-of-home viewing and streaming. That massive number is more than double the number of people who watched the last UEFA women’s championship, staged in the Netherlands in 2017.

My local pub, the Red Lion, was transformed; usually, everyone is watching Leeds United, but they watched the championship, and I cannot tell you how excited they were and how they cheered. It was fantastic to witness. The tournament was a truly groundbreaking moment for sport. It has super-charged interest in the women’s game, bringing it to the forefront of people’s mind. We are looking forward to that momentum being maintained and built on, with the FIFA women’s World cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.

When I went to Wembley to see the Lionesses beat the USA, I sat next to Baroness Sue Campbell, and my arm was bruised afterwards because she was clutching on to it with so much excitement. When I meet her in December, I will know to sit on the opposite side of the table. She is clearly a passionate advocate of the sport.

To commemorate the team’s incredible achievement, we are working with the Football Foundation and the FA to name sites after the players in the towns and cities that shaped their careers. That is in addition to investing £230 million between 2021 and 2025 to improve grassroots sports facilities across the UK and help more women and girls to access high-quality facilities. I am looking forward to going to Stenhousemuir multisport facility tomorrow to see the work going on there and to support the Billie Jean King women’s tennis tournament in Glasgow.

We know this is not a one-off. Major sporting events unite the nation, instil pride in our communities and give us all something to feel good about, in a way that few other things can achieve. They also provide fantastic opportunities to create lasting legacies. We continue to see the impact of the women’s Euros. It has increased interest in the club side of the women’s game. Clubs in the women’s super league, which kicked off in September, are still reporting huge surges in demand for tickets. The new broadcast deal with Sky will see women’s football reach more people than ever.

The women’s super league attendance record has been smashed, as we have already heard, after 48,000 watched the north London derby between Arsenal and Twickenham—sorry, Tottenham, I am getting Twickenham on the brain—on Saturday 24 September. That would have been frankly unimaginable just a few years ago. We saw something similar in Birmingham for the Commonwealth games in the summer. There were some important firsts, including more medal events for women than men—a first in major multisport event history—and 173,000 spectators attended the T20 women’s cricket at Edgbaston, a record for women’s cricket.

This year’s rugby league world cup, played across venues mainly in the north of England, has been the first time that all three world cups—men’s, women’s and wheelchair—have been staged at the same time. That has helped to give visibility and a platform to those teams and players. Women and wheelchair players are also receiving prize money for the first time, as well as equal participation fees across all three tournaments. I wish all the teams every success.

As a country, we continue to reap the benefits of hosting major and mega sporting events. That is why the Government are fully committed to building on our world-leading reputation as a host. Although it is right to celebrate and reflect on the success of the Euros, we must now refocus to ensure that that success translates to the continued growth of the women’s game. That is why I am pleased that in September we launched an independent review of the future of women’s football, which is being chaired by former England and Great Britain footballer Karen Carney.

The review is looking at how to deliver bold, sustainable growth of the women’s game at elite and grassroots level. The Secretary of State and I recently met Karen to discuss progress to date. I look forward to working closely with her as the review progresses over the coming months. This is a defining period for the women’s game, and I want to ensure that the review contributes to the bold and sustainable growth of the game at elite and grassroots level.

Challenges frankly remain for women’s and girls’ participation in sport. As we have heard, Sport England data showed that the pandemic wiped out all of the gains made in women’s sport participation over the previous five years, falling back to just below 60% of women being active. The latest data, published in April this year, showed that men are still more likely to be active compared with women. The latest Sport England data for children and young people from December 2021 is more positive, showing that physical activity levels are very similar for boys and girls in education, with 45% of both defined as active. However, it is clear that more work needs to be done to continue to break down the barriers that prevent women and girls from being active, such as a fear of judgment, safety concerns and a lack of time.

We know that football is a popular choice for women and girls to get active—indeed, it is the most popular team sport for women and girls. Programmes such as Game On, Shooting Stars and Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships are engaging more girls in football at school—for example, more than 3,200 primary schools participate in the Shooting Stars programme. Initiatives such as Sport England’s This Girl Can continue to inspire millions of women to get active, regardless of shape, size, or ability. That campaign has helped to eliminate fear of judgment by normalising women taking part in sport and changing perceptions of what sport is. It also aims to prove that barriers such as time and money can be overcome.

The Lionesses’ fantastic performance at the 2022 women’s Euros has truly inspired the nation, and it is great to see that confirmed by the recent figures published by UEFA in its post-tournament flash report. For example, more than half of local residents and two in five spectators and tournament volunteers have been inspired to do more sport and physical activity generally, and 84% of those participating in UEFA’s women’s Euro 2022 legacy activities report that doing so has improved their confidence and self-esteem. We want to build on that momentum.

[Munira Wilson]

The Minister is outlining a lot of fantastic community initiatives. If he is going to come on to this topic, I hope he will forgive me, but could he address some of the questions I asked about working with the Department for Education to make sure that PE is on the agenda in the way the Lionesses have been pushing for?

[Stuart Andrew]

The hon. Lady does not have long to wait. We want to build on the momentum that the tournament has created to ensure that every woman and every girl has the opportunity to take part in football if that is what they want to do, and—more importantly—to get active in any way that suits them personally. Our £230 million grassroots investment will be key to achieving that.

The Secretary of State was delighted to meet the Lionesses last month; they are extraordinary ambassadors for sport. We will continue to invest in grassroots sport to bring on the next generation of Lionesses. We know how valuable PE at school is: it gives pupils an opportunity to excel, be active and lead healthy lives. We are actively working with the Department for Education to understand the barriers that prevent the ambition of two to two and a half hours of PE a week being achieved. I commit to personally engaging with my colleagues in the Department for Education to ensure that girls have equal access to sport. We are also reviewing the barriers that prevent girls from getting access to two hours of PE. There is more work for us to do to identify and address the different barriers to participation that exist for young people, and I absolutely commit to making that my priority.

Alongside that, the Department for Education is working on updating the school sport and activity action plan, which will set out actions to improve PE teaching in primary schools and help schools to make better use of their facilities. That will include a £30 million project to open those facilities after hours. More broadly, we need to work with other Departments, such as the Department of Health and Social Care. This is a policy area I care passionately about, and I know that if I do not do something about this issue, I will have far more debates to answer, although I will be happy to do so.

Cryptoasset Promotions in Sport

Stuart Andrew Excerpts

Tuesday 8th November 2022 Westminster Hall

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

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Cummins. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Aaron Bell) for securing the debate. It is clear that he and I share a passion that everyone should be able to enjoy sport safely. That is ultimately one of the things that has motivated him to secure this debate.

We both understand how important it is to protect the integrity of our sports as well as the fans, who are their lifeblood, frankly. In my first few weeks in this job I have been learning an awful lot, but I would say that in the last hour I have learned even more. I am certainly grateful for the focus on this very important area. It will be informing a number of areas I am currently looking at.

It is a privilege as the Minister for Sport to be able to champion a sector that means so much to so many fans across the country, plays such an important part in local economies and has such a rich history in each of our communities. We would all agree that for those reasons and more we should ultimately encourage innovation in sport. Innovations that can harness emerging technologies, providing both new commercial opportunities for sport and greater engagement for fans, should be embraced. That being said, any such innovations should be implemented responsibly, in line with any relevant regulation, and with transparency in how they are advertised and promoted.

As I mentioned in last night’s Adjournment debate on the governance and financial sustainability of English football clubs, fans are the lifeblood of sports clubs. That is why they were the first people I met when I took on this role. I met representatives from the Football Supporters’ Association as well as a number of club supporters’ trusts. I listened to their perspectives, because their needs must be understood and protected and should be central in any decisions we take. That way, we can ensure a sustainable, thriving future for sport in this country.

As part of the Government’s ongoing work on football regulation, we are committed to breaking the cycle of inappropriate ownership, financial instability and poor governance practices. I join my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme in congratulating and thanking our hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch) for the amazing work she has done with her review.

However, engaging with fans’ groups goes wider than that, and the growing interest in, and promotion of, cryptoassets issued by sports clubs should clearly keep fans at the forefront. The enthusiasm of fans for sports memorabilia and collectibles is not new, and it is no surprise that this enthusiasm remains undimmed in the digital age through new technologies. It is clear to see that there is a hugely positive potential for cryptoassets in a fan market, with such a latent appetite for merchandise, memorabilia and other opportunities to show one’s colours.

A number of sports clubs and competitions have taken early steps into partnerships with cryptoasset businesses, or in developing their own assets. As we have heard, fan tokens have the functionality of making fans feel more immediately involved in their clubs on a digital platform by giving them a vote on matchday music or entering them into draws for signed shirts. Non-fungible tokens bring traditional collector opportunities into the 21st century, with opportunities to purchase digital cards. That can be at club level or relate to evolving digital assets that chart a team’s progress, such as the recent product launched by the sponsors of the 2022 World cup. Sponsor relationships can be as responsibly explored as any other corporate partnership—none of these alone represents a significant risk that needs to be mitigated—but as we have heard today, not all projects launched by the sector thus far have delivered on their potential or done so in a transparent manner.

As I have said, any promotions of cryptoassets in sport should have fans’ interests at their heart and must be transparent about any risks, and the sector should be mindful of that as it looks to further develop its digital offers. Cryptoassets should not be viewed in isolation from their wider relationship with a club’s fan base and our normal expectations of responsible corporate relationships. It is reassuring to see that clubs are being held accountable on that point—for example, as we have heard, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that some of the adverts promoting Arsenal’s fan tokens through their partnership were “misleading” and “irresponsible”, with insufficient warnings of the risks involved.

My hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme mentioned the incredibly damaging collapse of Football Index, which is an example of the four main problems that he has highlighted. Our independent review into the regulation of Football Index identified lessons to be learned by the Gambling Commission and the Financial Conduct Authority. The commission has taken action, including strengthening its approach to novel products.

As we have heard, cryptoassets can come in many forms, ranging from cryptocurrencies to non-fungible tokens. It is important to note that the Government are taking action on the regulation of cryptoassets and their promotion. In July, the Government set out our vision for the future of the financial services sector, which included a plan to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of technology and innovation. That was one of the four key components of the vision, with the ultimate aim of building a financial services sector that continues to be one that the rest of the world looks towards.

The global and UK cryptoasset markets have evolved rapidly in recent years. In 2021, the FCA estimated that 2.3 million people in the UK hold cryptoassets—up from 1.9 million in 2020. The Government see enormous potential in this innovative market, which needs to be carefully balanced against the risks. We have set out our firm ambition to make the UK a global hub for cryptoasset technology and investment. We want to ensure that firms can invest, innovate and scale up in this country, and we have announced a number of reforms that will see the regulation of cryptoassets and aspects of tax treatment evolve. Our clear message to cryptoasset firms is that the UK is open for business, and these announcements are in line with our objective to create a regulatory environment in which firms can innovate while, crucially, maintaining financial stability and regulatory standards, so that people can use new technologies both reliably and safely. That is essential for continuing confidence in the financial system.

The Government established the cryptoassets taskforce in 2018, consisting of the Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority. The taskforce’s objectives include exploring the impact of cryptoassets and the potential benefits and challenges of distributed ledger technology in financial services, and assessing what, if any, regulation is required in response. To protect consumers, the FCA has banned the sale of cryptoasset derivatives to retail consumers. The Government launched a new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime in this area in 2020. The Government will continue to monitor the wider cryptoasset market and stand ready to take further regulatory action if required.

The Government are taking action on the regulation of cryptoasset promotions. In January 2022, the Government published a response to a consultation on proposals to bring certain cryptoassets into scope of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, which would ensure those promotions are fair, clear and not misleading. The measure aims to improve consumer understanding of the risks and benefits associated with such purchases and to ensure that promotions are held to the same standards as financial services products with similar risk.

The Government have been clear that UK authorities are committed to supporting the growth of the sector in a safe and competitive manner. Certain cryptoassets are already subject to FCA financial promotions rules. A wider array of unregulated cryptoassets, such as bitcoin, are not subject to similar regulation for financial promotions. The Government’s proposed measure to expand the scope of the financial promotion order to capture qualifying cryptoassets will bring most of these unregulated cryptoassets into financial promotions regulation. That forms part of the Government’s staged and proportionate approach to such regulation, which is sensitive to the risks posed and responsive to new developments in the market.

As is already the case in the application of the financial promotions regime, the Government set the regulatory perimeter while detailed rules for the regime are determined by the FCA. The FCA’s consultation on its rules closed earlier this year and it will carefully consider representations from firms. The Government will continue to closely monitor market developments and stand ready to take further legislative action if required.

In summary, the cryptoasset market is an emerging and rapidly evolving one. This innovative market has huge potential, but that must be balanced against the risks. The Government are actively monitoring the cryptoasset market and stand ready to regulate where necessary. The same is true for cryptoassets in sport. There is potential for cryptoassets to enhance fans’ experience of sport and make them feel more a part of the clubs they love. However, their use by clubs must be responsible and transparent about any risks involved.

I absolutely recognise the four main problems that my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme highlighted. Misleading promotion, consumer protection, due diligence and fan engagement are interconnected factors that must be considered and addressed in the context of cryptoasset promotion in sport. The Government are happy to engage with the FCA and others on these issues in relation to our work on football governance and in respect of sport more broadly.

The Government will continue to monitor the use and promotion of cryptoassets in sport and will factor this into our considerations around the wider market and its regulation. I will certainly raise the important issues that have been highlighted today with my Treasury colleagues. I assure the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) that I will ensure that the issues for Northern Ireland are highlighted. I will come back to the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Martin Docherty-Hughes) on the current legislative options that may be available following the meeting I have with him.

I knew that I would be asked about the publication of the White Paper. As I said last night, it is a priority for me. I get how important this is to fans. I hope the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Jeff Smith) will understand that, as a new Minister, it is important that I get this right and take the time to consider all aspects that have been raised. We are committed to reform, and that will come. Once again, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme for leading this very insightful debate. He has certainly given me even more to consider as I make preparations for the White Paper.

Football Clubs in England: Financial Sustainability

Stuart Andrew Excerpts

Monday 7th November 2022 Commons Chamber

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

I am pleased to respond to this debate and I am grateful to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Shabana Mahmood) for securing it. She opened her speech by discussing the challenge of representing two football clubs, and I imagine that that is quite a tightrope to walk. She rightly highlighted the long history of concerns that many of the fans she represents have expressed. I, too, want to pay tribute to their commitment. It must be incredibly difficult for them at times. She rightly pointed out, too, many of the complexities of the structures of some of those football clubs.

The interest and passion shown in this evening’s debate—and, in fact, since I took on this role only a few weeks ago—is testament to the huge importance that the House attaches to securing the long-term sustainability and governance of English football. I, too, want to pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch) for the amazing amount of work that she did, along with many other fans, in delivering that report.

Football clubs have an enduring importance in the lives of the people of this country. Many Members have spoken in this debate, and to me personally, of historic and local clubs woven into the fabric of their communities that have simply ceased to exist or have been relegated because of reckless decisions made by owners and appalling financial mismanagement.

We have heard—I have heard about this endlessly in recent weeks—of the poor or non-existent governance practices in some of our clubs, with fans locked out of key decisions that affect them, which threatens clubs’ long-term health and sustainability. Others have spoken of the clear need for a fundamental change in how money is distributed throughout the football pyramid to ensure the long-term health and competitiveness of our national game.

We have heard how English football clubs make significant contributions to all the local communities in which they are based. They are at the heart of local communities, but they also provide many jobs and support for local businesses that rely on them. Fans are the lifeblood of those clubs: they bear the brunt of the fallout of bad ownership decisions; they see where the structures are not working for the good of the game; and they can articulate most clearly how to set that right.

One of my urgent priorities when I became Minister for sport was to hear first hand from fans—I wanted to hear from them first—about where the problems lay in our national game and how we could address them, to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for football in this country.

[Kevin Foster]

I agree with the tribute that the Minister paid to fans. Certainly Torquay United Supporters Trust has made clear its views to me over a long period, and it engaged directly in the fan-led review. Can my right hon. Friend give us an update on when the Government will respond?

[Stuart Andrew]

I will certainly come to that in a moment; I am sure that is the bit everybody is waiting for—do not hold your breath. [Laughter.]

As I said, one of the first things I wanted to do was to meet the fans. They are the ones who are most invested in their clubs and who go and support them day in, day out, whatever the results, the weather or their fortunes. Without them, football in this country would simply not be the fantastic game that it is.

[James Daly]

Football is obviously all about its fans; does the Minister agree that it has a potential that is untapped by the state? What with the delivery of frontline services at community stadiums, the groupings and support and everything else that goes with that, the added social value is immense.

Does the Minister also agree that it has been an absolute pleasure to sit in the Chamber with the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood? She should be incredibly proud of the passion she has shown for her community and her football team, and every single Birmingham City fan should be proud of what she has done today because it really does matter. Does the Minister agree?

[Stuart Andrew]

How could I possibly not agree with my hon. Friend? He is absolutely right. In the short few weeks I have been in this job I have really noticed the passion that everybody has for the sport. Fans sometimes get frustrated with their club’s performance, but their passion and loyalty are to be admired. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to praise the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood for securing this debate.

As I said, I was keen to hear from the fans first, which is why they were the first people I met when I took on this role. I met representatives from the Football Supporters’ Association, Fulham Supporters’ Trust, Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust and Blackpool Supporters Trust to hear their stories. All those clubs had suffered at the hands of owners who used and abused their stewardship. This relates to the point made by the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon). Some of the stories I heard were frankly shocking, and some of the sacrifices that the fans had to make to make their point were astounding. The fact that Blackpool supporters boycotted their own club for four or five years really does show the strength of their feeling.

Too many clubs have been lost to the cycle of unsuitable owners taking over clubs, stripping them of their assets, as the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood said, and leaving them as empty shells, as my hon. Friend the Member for Bury North (James Daly) said. Too many clubs have been brought to the brink, with owners refusing to fund them any more. We are committed to breaking the cycle of inappropriate ownership, financial instability and poor governance practices. I look forward to the debate that my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Aaron Bell) has secured for tomorrow. He mentioned the issue of cryptoassets; I am sure we will be having that conversation for a good few months.

Since my meetings with fans, both the Secretary of State and I have met representatives from the football authorities—the FA, the Premier League and the English Football League—to understand their perspectives on reform, too. The policy is complex and it is important that we get it right. We are talking about matters of finance and governance, and I make no apology for taking the time to ensure that I have properly considered all the issues before me. That is why we continue to engage and hear views from a wide range of stakeholders, including the football authorities and, most importantly, the fans’ groups.

[Shabana Mahmood]

I totally understand that when we are trying to build a totally new regulatory regime, we have to make sure we have thought of every possibility and any unintended consequences, but will the Minister confirm that the end position he is trying to get to is an independent regulator and that he is trying to make sure that the regulatory regime is fit for purpose? The end state we must have is an independent regulator of English football.

[Stuart Andrew]

The hon. Lady tempts me to go a bit further than I can at this stage, but I can tell her that I am currently doing all the deep work on the White Paper because I want that to address many of the points she has raised.

Football can take forward some of the reform measures—such as financial redistribution throughout the leagues—now, and I strongly urge the relevant authorities to act and to do so quickly. Meanwhile, we have a new set of Ministers so we are taking a little time. We recognise that clubs are at the heart of many of our communities. Were I not to do the due diligence, I am sure that clubs would not be happy with me for not double-checking that everything is right. We are taking the time to consider the policy and consult the numerous stakeholders. We remain committed to publishing a White Paper setting out our detailed response to the fan-led review of football governance, but let me make it clear: the case for reform is not in doubt.

Question put and agreed to.