Catastrophic Sporting Injuries: Steven Cox

Tracey Crouch Excerpts

Wednesday 13th January 2016 Commons Chamber

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

I thank the right hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr Campbell) for securing this debate on such an important subject. Discussions about such events are always challenging, but I am in no doubt that everyone in the Chamber is on the same side and wants a safe and secure environment for everyone taking part in sport. Not just as a Minister, but as a long-term participant in contact sport, I am well aware that things can sometimes go horribly wrong. I have been on the field when players have had their sporting choice finished for good due to a horrific injury. While we all do everything that we can to prevent these misfortunes, we accept that sport brings with it an element of risk, but that risk must be mitigated when possible.

It is right that player safety is primarily a matter for the national governing bodies, as the designated authorities with responsibility to regulate their sport, and I expect each governing body to make that its highest priority. That should be not simply for good public relations, but a fundamental aspect of the organisations’ role in delivering their sport.

While there is consensus that everyone wants sport to be safe, I believe that everyone will also agree that when there is an injury in sport, whether catastrophic or otherwise, that should be properly investigated. In Steven’s case, as the right hon. Gentleman made clear, there is a perception that that did not happen.

The right hon. Gentleman eloquently set out Steven Cox’s case, so I will not take up time by going over the incident again. I will say, however, that despite the horrific reason, it was an absolute pleasure to meet Steven and his family in December, thanks to the right hon. Gentleman’s efforts. I know that Steven and his family have gone through very difficult times, but I was extremely impressed by Steven’s perseverance, and by his enthusiasm for and commitment to promoting this important issue and campaigning for greater safety in sport. In fact, it was the meeting with Steven that reinvigorated my and my Department’s energy to push harder on the issue.

Unfortunately, due to the timing of our meeting, which was just before the publication of the sports strategy, I was unable to say how I could make progress on some of these points. However, as the strategy has now been published, and in the light of today’s debate, I can reveal further details. First, however, I wish to deal with a number of the issues relating to the RFU. Following my meeting with Steven, I wrote to the RFU chief executive, Ian Ritchie, and I am pleased to say that he will personally meet Steven. A letter to Steven offering such a meeting to discuss player safety has been or is about to be sent. I know that this will not be the first time that the RFU has met the Cox family, but I hope a meeting with the chief executive is seen as a positive step and one which will help in future.

That meeting will, I hope, be an opportune moment for the RFU to reassure the hon. Gentleman and Steven on his third point—that lessons have been learned in some respects about how to respond quickly and effectively to injuries sustained during games. The RFU has in many respects reassured me, but it needs to do so too for Steven, his family and the wider rugby community.

It is important to acknowledge that the RFU has developed a number of programmes to ensure player safety. Last year it introduced the RugbySafe scheme ,which includes all the RFU’s player safety and wellbeing projects to support clubs, schools, colleges, universities and all other participants in the game. I know that the RFU continues to update guidance as required, and I encourage it and all other national governing bodies to ensure that safety is at the heart of all sporting activities.

On the new sports strategy and what I was unable to say in the meeting with the hon. Gentleman in December but can say now, the strategy explicitly recognises the importance of safety for players and spectators at sporting events, all the way from the grassroots to the elite. The strategy included a commitment to a new duty of care review to consider these issues more fully. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who brings with her a wealth of personal and professional experience, has agreed to lead an independent working group to carry out the review.

The complete remit of the review is yet to be finalised, but I have discussed Steven’s case with Baroness Grey-Thompson and she has already agreed to two things. First, she will meet Steven, hear his views on duty of care and discuss his case. Secondly, the review will consider how we investigate catastrophic injuries in the future. I am not going to prejudge the outcome of the noble Baroness’s review, but I have enormous sympathy with the right hon. Gentleman’s point about independence of investigation. Duty of care, to me, is therefore not just about preventive measures; it is also about confidence in investigation and honest lessons being learned.

Finally, I was interested to note the suggestion this evening from the right hon. Gentleman that we establish a body to look at safety in sport, along the lines of the Health and Safety Executive. He will be aware that, as I stated earlier, safety in sport is generally the responsibility of the national governing bodies, although the relevant sports councils also play a role. It is certainly worth considering the merits of the current system and whether establishing an alternative one would be beneficial, so I will ensure that the duty of care review also considers this suggestion.

I will, of course, update the House as the work on duty of care and safety in sport progresses, and I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for securing the debate this evening. I know that what happened to his constituent Steven was horrific, but through his campaigning and that of others, alongside progress in guidance and changes to play, I am confident that we can prevent injuries like his from occurring in future. If, unfortunately, they do occur, we can try to ensure better investigation. What we can certainly do is ultimately make sport much safer for everyone in the future.

Question put and agreed to.