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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that neither (1) the winning bid for Chelsea Football Club, nor (2) the process for identifying the winning bidder, involves the use of management consultancy services by Bain & Co.

The sale process continues to be run by Chelsea Football Club and it will be for them to decide the precise terms of a proposed sale. The Government will consider the merits of a licence application on its own terms and we expect any application to set out the proposed approach and specific transactions which need licensing in order to come to a decision.

The Government can only impose conditions on a licence which authorises the sale of the club if they are linked to the sanctions policy.