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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings he has had to discuss the role of local authorities in the future of grassroots football.

On 7^th July I met with Councillor Stephens from the Local Government Association and I am always open to engaging with local authority representatives on this important subject. Local authorities have a very important role in ensuring people from all backgrounds are able to participate in sport. They own or manage a large amount of sporting infrastructure in the country and have a responsibility to make sure that facilities and infrastructure are available and accessible. The Government, through Sport England, works closely with a wide range of local authorities, providing expert advice and funding to sustain and increase the number of people playing sport regularly.