Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on tackling violence at football games.

The Government is committed to tackling and preventing violence and disorder at football matches and tournaments in England, Wales and overseas. Policing is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Government funds the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU), a unit designed to reduce violence, antisocial behaviour and disorder at football events involving UK football teams. The UKFPU undertakes various statutory and operational national policing functions, including maintaining oversight of the football banning order regime, working with overseas policing counterparts and coordinating policing deployment at international matches, and coordinating policing’s football disorder strategy.

The Home Office works closely with the UKFPU, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Football Policing and other police stakeholders to ensure the police are supported to tackle football-related violence and disorder.