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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2021 to Question 108456, on Football: Accountability, whether the Government has made an assessment of the adequacy of the current ownership and governance of Birmingham City Football Club.

The Government does not assess the ownership or governance arrangements of individual football clubs, but we recognise that they have unique social value and it is vital that they are protected.

The final report of the Fan Led Review of Football Governance is a thorough and detailed examination of the challenges faced by English football now and in the future. The Government welcomes the findings of the review and has endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game.

The Government is currently considering the detail of all the recommendations, including those made on a new Owners’ and Directors’ test and corporate governance, and is working at pace to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.