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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the English Cricket Board on the recent sale of its equity in the Hundred cricket franchises.

We want a thriving sector, with robust National Governing Bodies that can use their nationwide remit to deliver sport to people across the country. Sustainable investment is important for achieving this. The Hundred will see additional investment into grassroots cricket from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which is welcomed.

I met with the ECB in September to hear about the ECB’s priorities and challenges, including investment into cricket. I also met with the ECB as well as other governing bodies in November to discuss the future of sport, including the financial sustainability of the sector; and most recently at a roundtable with the Department for Education this month to discuss the future of PE and sport.