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Written Question
Chelsea Football Club: Sales
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the issue of a licence by the Office of Financial Solutions in May 2022 to enable the sale of Chelsea Football Club, why the sale has not been expedited, when the anticipated £2.5 billion realised by the sale will become available to support victims of the conflict in Ukraine, and whether the funds may be used for the creation of an International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the noble Lord to the answer to Question HL2826 given on 13 March 2024, which can be found on the Q&A web pages (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-28/hl2826).


Written Question
Football: Sportsgrounds
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has taken recent steps to designate football club grounds as assets of community value.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Assets of Community Value scheme has successfully helped community groups to take ownership of the publicly and privately-owned local assets of community value which would otherwise be at risk of loss.

The £150 million Community Ownership Fund helps communities across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets at risk of closure.

The Community Ownership Fund has provided £550,000 to the Oldham Boxing Club, to assist the club to carry out essential repair works, keeping the historic building open to the whole community.


Written Question
Chelsea Football Club
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Financial Sanctions Implementation Office has made on establishing the foundation to manage and distribute monies from the proceeds of the sale of Chelsea FC.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC are currently frozen in a UK bank account while independent experts establish a foundation to manage and distribute the money. A licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation will then be needed to move the funds to the foundation. We are working hard to reach an arrangement that delivers this money to humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible.


Written Question
Chelsea Football Club: Sales
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the prompt delivery of the pledged £2.5 billion from the sale of Chelsea Football Club to support victims of Russia's invasion of Ukraine; and when they anticipate that this will happen.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC are currently frozen in a UK bank account while independent experts establish a foundation to manage and distribute the money. A licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation will then be needed to move the funds to the foundation. We are working as quickly as possible, including with our international partners, to ensure funds are released and reach Ukraine.


Written Question
Regional Planning and Development: Angus
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding Angus constituency has received from (a) all funding schemes put in place to replace EU structural funding, (b) the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, (c) the Levelling-Up Fund and (d) the Long-Term Plan for Towns in each year since 2016.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

There is no single fund that directly replaces EU structural funding. Levelling up funding comprises various measures that include, for example, the Levelling Up Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Long Term Plan for Towns, the Community Renewal Fund, the Community Ownership Fund, and pre-existing programmes such as the City Region and Growth Deals. These come alongside the largest block grant ever for the devolved administration in Scotland which the Chancellor recently confirmed, and other measures such as the Green Freeports and Investment Zones Programme which cover four areas across Scotland.

In general, details of funding support are held at local authority rather than constituency level. The UK remained a member of the European Union until January 2020.

Since then, Angus Council has been awarded nearly £5 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as well as £26.5 million from the Tay Cities Deal. It has also received nearly £300k from the Community Ownership Fund awarded to a project in Brechin for Davidson Legacy Cottage SCIO, and over £230k awarded via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme including to replace the 3G pitch at Forfar Community Football Trust, for floodlights at Station Park and Market Muir, and for solar panels at Arbroath Football Club. At Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced that Arbroath in Angus will be a Long-Term Plan for Towns location and will receive £20 million of funding.


Written Question
Chelsea Football Club: Sales
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the delivery of £2.5 billion from the sale of Chelsea Football Club.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC are currently frozen in a UK bank account while independent experts establish a foundation to manage and distribute the money. A licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation will then be needed to move the funds to the foundation. We want this money to reach Ukraine as quickly as possible and remain open to any arrangement that clearly delivers this.


Written Question
Rugby: Sixways Stadium
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of proposals submitted to her Department by Bond Group Sixways on resuming rugby at Sixways Stadium.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Throughout the pandemic the Government went above and beyond through the Sport Survival Package (SSP) to provide a range of sports organisations across the country with generous financial support to ensure their survival throughout that difficult period. The Premiership Rugby club, Worcester Warriors, who played at Sixways Stadium were loaned money via the SSP.

In September 2022 Begbies Traynor were appointed as Administrators of Worcester Rugby Football Club (WRFC) Trading and Joint Receivers in relation to further companies within the structure of WRFC Trading. As Administrators, Begbies Traynor have a duty to act in the best interests of creditors and so the Department, as one of those creditors, has a limited role in those proceedings. It is for the Administrator to determine the best course of action to deliver on this objective in line with the Insolvency Act 1986 (as amended).


Written Question
Regeneration: Bury South
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to support community-led regeneration projects in (a) areas facing economic deprivation and (b) other areas in Bury South constituency.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

So far, the £150 million Community Ownership Fund has awarded £71.4 million of funding to 257 projects across the UK. This includes £260k to rebuild the Whitefield Bowling Club in Bury South so it can continue to host the club, serve as a hub and meeting space for community groups and provide much needed community services.

Bury Community Football Club Supporters Society was awarded £1 million in 2021 through the Community Ownership Fund, allowing the stadium to be purchased and brought back into use as a home for Bury FC and as a focal point for community life and events.


Written Question
Football: Sportsgrounds
Wednesday 21st February 2024

Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of piloting alcohol sales in sight of pitch in (a) women’s, (b) National League and (c) League Two football.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

As set out in “A sustainable future - reforming club football governance”, the Government acknowledges the case for pilots of alcohol sales in sight of the pitch in the lower leagues as set out in the Fan Led Review of Football Governance, and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders on this.


Written Question
Football: Regulation
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to include anti-racism teaching in the objectives of the independent regulator for English football.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Regulator’s primary strategic purpose will be to ensure that English football is financially sustainable for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve. This approach was set out in the football governance white paper, the Government’s subsequent consultation response, and the Government’s response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on football governance. As such, the Regulator will focus on the financial sustainability of clubs, the financial resilience of the football pyramid, and safeguarding club heritage. Industry is therefore best placed to lead on such issues, and I continue to engage closely with football authorities on these important topics.