Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he has made an assessment of the risk to safety of football supporters standing during football matches.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Spectator safety at sports grounds remains the priority for Government. The Sports Grounds Safety Authority is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing and advising on safety at sports grounds. My officials meet and receive advice from the SGSA as part of the normal process of policy development.
The Government will continue to learn from the latest data, research, and advances in technology to improve the safety of spectators, but we have yet to see robust evidence of a safer approach to protecting spectators at football matches than the existing all-seater arrangements.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings her Department has had with (a) football fan groups, (b) representatives of Premier League football clubs, (c) representatives of English Football League clubs, (d) the Football Association, Scottish Football Association and Football Association of Wales and (e) Celtic Football Club on safe standing in football grounds.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Ministers meet regularly with the relevant football authorities and representatives of supporters’ groups to discuss a wide range of issues including the Government’s all-seater policy.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
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.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
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.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect UK fans planning to travel to Russia this year, ahead of the Football world cup.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is responsible for supporting all British nationals overseas and their safety and security is our primary objective. In June 2017, we launched our 'Be on the Ball' travel campaign page for the 2018 World Cup, in addition to our travel advice for Russia. We continue to update this with practical information for all fans travelling to Russia. FCO officials are working very closely with the Football Association, UK Police, Football Supporters Federation and local organisers who share our same objective.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her department has made of the severity of the financial obstacles to youth attendance at professional sporting events; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The cost of attending live sport for all ages is something that must be kept under constant review, and we support a fair deal for fans, but respect that ticket-pricing policies should remain a matter for event hosts.
The Government's sport strategy, Sporting Future, recognises how attending live sporting events can benefit individuals, communities and the wider sporting economy. Ten major sporting events supported by UK Sport saw over 1.1 million people attend in 2017, including the IAAF World Championships in London, where over 100,000 children under 16 attended at a ticket price of £9.58, signifying Usain Bolt's 100m world record. The World Para Athletics Championships similarly saw over 100,000 schoolchildren attend, with 30,000 children being transported free of charge by Transport for London as part of a two session ring-fenced school project. The men's and women's World Series Triathlons held in Leeds in June also attracted over 50,000 spectators who were able to enjoy the events for free.
Football clubs are also offering concessions on ticket prices and associated costs for all fans, including younger supporters, which the recent BBC Price of Football 2017 study highlighted. Overall, English Football League (EFL) figures show that junior season ticket sales have increased by 37% over the past 10 years with 20% of all EFL club match attendees now under 16 years old. Premier League clubs agreed last season to cap the cost of away tickets to £30 up until 2019, and clubs are helping more with concessions on travel.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the hon. Member for Daventry on the mediation process relating to Coventry City Football Club; and what progress has been made to date during that process.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
I continue to be kept regularly updated on this matter. Talks around where the club will be playing its home matches from next season are still ongoing. I would urge Coventry City FC and the other relevant parties to agree a plan, so that attention can turn to working together, to provide the clarity needed for the club and its loyal supporters.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the (a) English Football League or (b) Football Association on Coventry City Football Club's search for a long-term stadium solution within Coventry.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
I have regular discussions with the English Football League and the FA on a number of matters. I am aware that talks around where the club will be playing its home matches from next season are still ongoing. I would urge all relevant parties to agree a plan, so that attention can turn to working together, to provide the clarity needed for the club and its loyal supporters.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote opportunities for supporters to have increased involvement in the running of football clubs.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
On the 27 February, the Department published progress one year on from the report of the Government Expert Working Group on Football Supporter Ownership and Engagement. This progress report is a summary of the achievements made so far by the football authorities, supporter representative groups and government to implement the Working Group's recommendations. The report is available at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/football-expert-working-group-progress-report.
In particular, changes are already in place to help Supporters Trusts bid to buy insolvent clubs, as well as requiring all 92 professional clubs to meet with their supporters at least twice a year to discuss the matters of most importance. These meetings lead the way in ensuring fans are better informed, and consulted on club activities.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the Football Association on how the FA Cup can best assist non-league football clubs financially.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Sutton United‘s and Lincoln City’s successful cup runs this season, showed that the FA cup is hugely significant for lower league & non-league clubs in terms of prestige and the revenue it brings, including through TV coverage. The clubs are best placed to make representations within the FA about how the competition might offer even more value to supporters and clubs.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received on improving disability access to sports venues; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
I have received a number of representations from members of the public about improving disability access to sports venues.
Our Sports Strategy sends a clear message to all sports that sports stadia should provide an inclusive environment that welcomes all spectators. While the spotlight on accessibility is rightly on football, we want all sports to ensure they fulfil their legal obligations towards disabled fans. We will be looking to other sports to follow football’s example, to ensure disabled spectators receive the legal requirements to which they are entitled.
Ensuring sport is inclusive and accessible for spectators remains a priority, and I want to continue to see concerted action taken by clubs to fulfil their legal obligations towards disabled supporters. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the regulatory body responsible for enforcing the Equality Act 2010 The EHRC has powers to ensure service providers, including sports stadia, fulfil their legal obligations under the Act.