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, what progress her Department has made on responding to the report entitled Raising the bar: reframing the opportunity in women's football, published on 13 July 2023.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Independent Review of Women’s Football, published earlier this year, made ten strategic recommendations which would lift minimum standards of women’s football, delivering bold and sustainable growth at elite and grassroots levels. The Government is due to publish its response to the Review before the end of the year.
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, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women’s football.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
It has been well documented that female football players are around three times more likely to suffer an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury than their male counterparts.
The Review of Women’s Football, published in July this year, examined the strategic priorities for the development of women's football and made recommendations on the future direction of the women's game. It highlighted the lack of sport exercise and scientific research which currently exists in women’s sport and that only 6% of sport exercise and science research involves only women. This lack of awareness means female athletes are often not being given the protection, expertise and support they need.
The Government has been speaking to the football authorities on all matters within the review, and is due to respond to the review in the autumn. We will address ACL injuries directly in that response, holding relevant stakeholders to account for action around player welfare.
Asked by: Julie Elliott (Labour - Sunderland Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with domestic sporting authorities on steps to reduce the number of Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries among female athletes.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Review of Women’s Football, published in July this year, examined the strategic priorities for the development of women's football and made recommendations on the future direction of the women's game. It highlighted the lack of sport exercise and scientific research which currently exists in women’s sport and that only 6% of sport exercise and science research involves only women. This lack of awareness means female athletes are often not being given the protection, expertise and support they need.
The Government has been speaking to the football authorities on all matters within the review, and is due to respond to the review in the autumn. We will address ACL injuries directly in that response, holding relevant stakeholders to account for action around player welfare.
Asked by: Julie Elliott (Labour - Sunderland Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2023 to Question 198058 on Football: Afghanistan, whether she plans to hold discussions with FIFA on the Afghanistan Women's National (a) Team and (b) Development Team.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have no plans to hold discussions with FIFA on the Afghanistan Women’s National Team or Development Team. I was delighted to attend their training session and meet the inspirational players during my recent visit to Australia for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, international sports federations operate independently of governments, as reflected in their own governance and regulation, therefore I am unable to intervene.
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, with reference to the new standards for equal access to sports announced by her Department on 8 March 2023, what plans her Department has to monitor the impact of the (a) standard and (b) associated funding on the participation of young girls in sport.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to supporting women's sport at every opportunity including pushing for greater participation.
In March this year, the government announced a significant package of over £600 million to boost school sport, including confirmation of funding for the PE and School Sport Premium and the School Games Organisers network until the end of the summer term 2025. These programmes will improve the quality of PE and sports in primary schools to help children benefit from regular activity and ensure girls and boys have equal opportunity to play sport in school. The Department for Education will be introducing a new digital tool to hold schools accountable for how they use their PE and sport premium funding allocation to monitor and improve the quality of PE and sport they provide.
We are also investing over £300 million in grassroots football and multi-sport facilities across the UK by 2025 which will further support women and girls accessing sport. Projects in England will need to have a clear women and girls plan to receive this funding. Projects are monitored regularly to ensure the objectives are met.
We recently published our first sports strategy in eight years. This includes our ambition to provide the infrastructure and conditions needed to get as many women and girls involved in sport. The government will work with Sport England to monitor the impact of this ambition including measuring the progress made in tackling inactivity annually through the Active Lives Children survey, and in real time by seeking new sources of data that allow us to monitor progress.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help increase participation in grassroots (a) sports and (b) other physical activity by women and girls.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting women's sport at every opportunity including pushing for greater participation.
In March this year, the Government announced a significant package of over £600 million to boost school sport, including confirmation of funding for the PE and School Sport Premium and the School Games Organisers network until the end of the summer term 2025. These programmes will improve the quality of PE and sports in primary schools to help children benefit from regular activity and ensure girls and boys have equal opportunity to play sport in school.
Sport England have also developed the Studio You PE teaching resource which aims to get young girls engaged in PE lessons, the platform offers video-based lessons covering a range of non-traditional activities, like boxing, dance, pilates and yoga. In addition, Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has already inspired millions of women and girls to get active regardless of shape, size and ability. In May this year, This Girl Can and ukactive published guidance ‘How to make your spaces safer for women: A call to action from the 51%’ to help fitness and leisure facilities create safer spaces for women and girls to be active.
In addition, the Review of Women’s Football was published on 13 July, and supports the continued growth and development of women’s and girl’s football. The Government welcomes the work of the Review and will now consider the recommendations before providing a response in the autumn.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the Future of Women's Football review.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Future of Women’s Review is expected to be published this summer, and the Government will respond in due course.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken with media stakeholders to help ensure that the FIFA Women's World Cup will be show on television.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Last summer we witnessed a major success in women’s sport as our very own Lionesses beat Germany at Wembley to lift the UEFA European Championship trophy. The Women’s World Cup this summer will again shine a light on women’s football and we want to make the most of this opportunity.
The Secretary of State made clear the need for a solution to FIFA and a statement was also published in May signed by the Governments of the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy urging both parties to reach an agreement. I welcome the announcement made on 14 June that all 64 matches in this summer's women's World Cup will be broadcast live on the BBC and ITV so our nation can cheer on their heroes as they take on the world at the Women's World Cup this summer and continue to inspire future generations.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate she has made of when the Future of Women's Football review will publish its report; and whether players have had an opportunity to contribute to the work of the review.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Review is progressing well, with stakeholder evidence sessions taking place focused on the key themes of the Review. This has included evidence sessions with players from the Women’s Super League and Championship, as well as a session with retired players. These sessions focused on the key challenges and issues affecting a female professional footballer’s career, including wellbeing and safeguarding.
The Review’s report is expected by summer 2023, and the government will respond afterwards.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether player (a) wellbeing and (b) safeguarding are being considered as part of the Future of Women's Football review.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Review is progressing well, with stakeholder evidence sessions taking place focused on the key themes of the Review. This has included evidence sessions with players from the Women’s Super League and Championship, as well as a session with retired players. These sessions focused on the key challenges and issues affecting a female professional footballer’s career, including wellbeing and safeguarding.
The Review’s report is expected by summer 2023, and the government will respond afterwards.