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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) football clubs remain community assets and (b) fans get a greater say in how they are run.

This Government wants to make this country the best place in the world to be a football fan. That is why the King’s Speech set out our plans for legislation to establish an independent football regulator.

The new regulator will protect and promote the sustainability of English football. The Bill will provide greater protections to club heritage and give fans more of a voice in how their club is run. It will ensure responsible owners for these community assets, by creating a new owners’ and directors’ test. It will also ensure that clubs can’t be syphoned off from the English football pyramid to set up closed-shop and breakaway leagues.

We will introduce this legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.