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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of the adequacy of protections for community football clubs.

Football clubs face many challenges in maintaining their facilities, supporting participation and fulfilling many other important community roles.

Through the Football Foundation, jointly funded by the DCMS, The Football Association and the Premier League over £595 million in grants have been provided for community clubs to help create new changing rooms, playing surfaces and stadia improvements since its inception in 2000.

Football clubs and their supporters can also take advantage of the powers contained within the Localism Act 2011 to list their stadiums as Assets of Community Value. Nearly 40 stadiums are currently listed.

Clubs remain an important part of local communities and DCMS will continue to work with the football authorities and influential fan groups like Supporters Direct to help provide support to community clubs. As the Minister for Sport set out most recently during an adjournment debate on the 16 March, she will be asking the Football Association to carry out a review into what further protection might be offered to football clubs at all levels of the game.