Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to investigate the possibility of increasing the penalties for football-related racist attacks and incidents.

We abhor racism, which has no place in football and must not be tolerated. Racist chanting or abuse may be an offence under section 3 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 or sections 4, 4A or 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Offences under sections 4 and 4A of the 1986 Act carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and are capable of being charged as a racially or religiously aggravated offence. In addition, the court must impose a preventative Football Banning Order following conviction for these offences if making an order would help to prevent football-related violence or disorder. Football Banning Orders prohibit the subject from attending regulated football matches for between three and ten years and can impose additional conditions if necessary.

Data on police reported football-related racist incidents for football seasons 2012/13 to 2018/19 is shown in the table below. No earlier data is available. During the 2017/18 football season, the Home Office’s UK Football Policing Unit commenced a new working arrangement with the Football Association and Kick It Out to ensure police are aware of football-related racist incidents that otherwise would not have been reported.

We have a strong legal framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racism and other hate crime. The Law Commission is carrying out a full review of the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislative provisions, including in the context of football.