Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, what assessment her Department has made of adequacy of training for reporting child sexual abuse for people that organise sporting and related activities for children.

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm, including through adherence to statutory safeguarding guidance.

The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), part funded by our arm’s length bodies UK Sport and Sport England, provides guidance and training about the recognition, response, and reporting of abuse, which includes specialised training on the mandatory reporting duty proposed in the Crime and Police Bill. We will continue to work with partners, including Sport England and the CPSU, to ensure appropriate training is available for the sector.