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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timescale is for the return of fans to football stadiums; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional financial support to lower-league English Football League clubs who have not spent huge sums on transfer fees in 2020.

The Government is committed to getting spectators back into stadiums as soon as it is safe to do so.

We will continue to work closely with a whole range of sporting bodies, including the football authorities, to understand the latest thinking that might allow spectators to return. This includes inviting the new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this.

I was pleased to see the welcome announcement of an agreement in principle between the Premier League and EFL for a financial support package for League One and Two clubs. It is clear the money exists within the game for it to support itself: I urge the Premier League and EFL to finalise both this deal and one that protects Championship clubs also.