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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency in Russia, Argentina, Ukraine, Bolivia, Israel and Andorra, and what assessment they have made of the specific measures, timetable and budget required for determining whether France, Belgium, Greece, Mexico and Spain meet the necessary standards required to send teams to the Olympic Games in Rio.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Compliance Review Committee is set to review responses from Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Israel and Ukraine. If they are judged to have taken the necessary corrective action, WADA’s Foundation Board will be in a position to declare those countries compliant. WADA had its first meeting with the Russian National Anti-Doping Organisation on 26 November to discuss the first steps towards Russia achieving compliance in the future. All six countries, currently on WADA’s ‘watch-list’, have until 18 March 2016 to resolve compliance issues, otherwise they will be declared non-compliant.

It is then for the International Olympic Committee and the relevant international sporting federation to decide whether a non-compliant anti-doping programme would prevent a country from competing at an Olympic Games.