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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what work UK Sport is undertaking to help attract major sporting events to Northern Ireland.

With its successful hosting of the start of this year's Giro d'Italia, Northern Ireland has demonstrated its ability to stage major sporting events. UK Sport recently met with the Northern Ireland Tourism Board (NITB) to explain its support to Major Events and has committed to meet with the NITB every 6 months. UK Sport is finalising dates for an additional meeting with Sport NI and the NITB to discuss this area further. UK Sport has established a Major Events Agency Co-ordination Group, including Northern Ireland, which met for the first time this month. UK Sport works with National Governing Bodies to identify the UK's major event hosting targets and this is regularly shared with Northern Ireland colleagues.