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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the scientific advice behind the decision to delay the reopening of football stadiums to fans.

We fully understand that fans want to be back watching live sports, and we are continuing to work with the sector on solutions and innovations.

But as set out in our Roadmap, sports pilots and the full return of fans to stadia would only ever take place when it was safe to do so.

The sport pilot events demonstrated that many risks within these events can be mitigated with Covid secure guidance. However, confirmed Covid-19 cases are now on a sharply upward trajectory. On advice from the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser in light of this, a decision was taken that it was not the time to make further easements by reopening stadia to fans.