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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) female and (b) BME participation in football at (i) player and (ii) management level.

As part of its Whole Sport Plan funding, Sport England is investing £2.4 million into a joint initiative with the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League Trust. This initiative encourages more women and girls to play football, and a further £3 million to the ‘Women and Girls' Talent Pathway programme to develop the next generation of talented female football players.

As set out in the Autumn Statement, the Government will also be investing £10m in facilities and coaching that will boost grassroots participation across the country. Part of this funding will go to a bursary scheme to help open up the higher tiers of coaching to more people, with a particular emphasis on female coaches, and those from BME backgrounds.

I will also be bringing together key figures from across football for a meeting in the New Year to explore what more can be done to improve the numbers of ethnic minorities in leadership positions in the top tiers of English football.