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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the (a) English Football League and (b) Premier League on the potential impact of the new deal financial package on grassroots football.

Ministers continue to discuss a distributions deal with the Premier League and EFL on a regular basis, with a clear expectation that any agreement should provide meaningful support across the football pyramid, including grassroots football. While the Football Governance Bill includes a backstop power for the independent regulator to intervene if a deal cannot be reached, this would only apply to distributions between the leagues. As such, Ministers continue to emphasise the importance of a voluntary agreement that delivers broader benefits, including investment in grassroots facilities and programmes.