Thursday Volume 577 13 March 2014 No. 136 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 13 March 2014 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 389 13 MARCH 2014 390 Association and with football authorities, and will take House of Commons the FA up on its offer to provide secretarial support for the group. Thursday 13 March 2014 Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con): Given the recent conviction of the former owner of Birmingham The House met at half-past Nine o’clock City football club for money laundering, the fraud convictions of the putative owner of Leeds United, and the fact that we still do not know the identities of the PRAYERS individuals who own Coventry City, does the Minister agree that a “fit and proper person” test should be applied to the owners of football clubs, and that it [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] should be administered by the authorities and, if necessary, given the legal security of being underpinned by statute? Oral Answers to Questions Mrs Grant: My hon. Friend has made an important point, but I believe that the enhanced checks and requirements that have been introduced by the football authorities are making some difference. I am also hopeful CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT that the Football Association regulatory authority will ensure that changes in club ownership are much more fully scrutinised. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was asked— Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) (Lab): Is the Minister aware that 12 months ago her predecessor Football Governance promised us that the Government would present proposals based on the Select Committee’s report? The current 1. Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) situation in Coventry is disgraceful: fans have to make a (Lab/Co-op): What her policy is on the future round trip of about 70 miles to Northampton. When governance of professional football. [903014] will we see some real action to deal with that? The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Mrs Grant: I think that we are starting to see some Media and Sport (Mrs Helen Grant): I should explain to action, but I agree that we need to see more. Last the House that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of August the Football Association introduced reforms State cannot be with us today, as she is in the United which included smaller boards and a new licensing States. system to deal with matters relating to ownership, finance I continue to work with the football authorities in and supporters. I think it fair to say that a start has been pressing for improvements in the game. They have made made, but more needs to be done, and if it is not done, some very positive changes, notably to their governance we will legislate. and financial fair play rules, but I believe that they can and will make further progress. We intend to legislate if Broadband Infrastructure football fails in that important task. 2. Ian Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab): What recent estimate Tom Greatrex: I declare my interest as one of the she has made of the number of businesses that have founders of the Fulham Supporters Trust, and I can secured contracts from (a) Broadband Delivery UK increase the Minister’s burgeoning understanding of and (b) local authorities for broadband infrastructure football by telling her that this has not been a great development in England and Wales. [903015] season for Fulham so far. When the Select Committee reported in 2011, it referred The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, to some of the problems of the role of supporters in the Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): Broadband Delivery game. In his response to the Committee’s follow-up UK has entered into a framework contract with BT and report almost exactly a year ago, the Minister’s predecessor Fujitsu. There are 40 local authority projects in England said that he would soon set up an expert working group, with funding from BDUK, and the Welsh Government under the auspices of the Department, to examine the have one project in Wales. All the contracts have been role of fans in the governance of football, but as yet delivered via BT. I am pleased to say that, under the that has not happened. Will the Minister tell me when super-connected cities programme, 70 suppliers have exactly it will happen, so that fans can see that the been registered, 300 vouchers have been awarded, and Government are taking the agenda seriously and not 1,000 more are in the pipeline. just paying lip service to it? Ian Lucas: In a recent report, the Public Accounts Mrs Grant: I am very interested in this issue. I have Committee said that local authorities were contributing met representatives of Supporters Direct, and we are £236 million more than the Department had predicted considering a recently updated proposal that we have in its 2011 business case, and that the sole monopoly received from the organisation in the last few weeks provider, BT, had contributed £207 million less. As the relating to the setting up of the expert group, which will Minister responsible throughout the programme, does enhance supporter engagement. I am keen to press on the Under-Secretary of State believe that that is an with this. I will continue to work with the Football effective use of public money? 391 Oral Answers13 MARCH 2014 Oral Answers 392 Mr Vaizey: I do. Ofcom confirmed yesterday that we The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, now have the best broadband in the European “big Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): The Government five”, and the fastest roll-out of 4G in the world. We will deliver a four-year programme to mark the centenary, continue to press ahead with 5G, we have published our focused around the themes of remembrance, youth and spectrum strategy, and we have one of the most formidable education. We will lead the nation in appropriate acts of digital infrastructure programmes in the world. remembrance and provide a framework for learning, community and cultural projects through a package of Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con): I funded activity worth nearly £100 million. commend my hon. Friend on the work that he is doing, but he no doubt shares my disappointment that Thirsk, Stephen Metcalfe: As part of our local commemorations, Malton and Filey will have only 78% high-speed cover I am leading a project that will see schools, veterans by 2015-16. Will the Government reverse their priorities organisations, sports bodies, clubs, societies and the to ensure that, with the help of NYnet’s excellent work, wider community in Basildon and its two twin-towns of broadband will penetrate the hardest-to-reach areas in Heiligenhaus in Germany and Ville de Meaux in France rural constituencies? come together to create a unique trilingual exhibition exploring social attitudes then and now called “Never Mr Vaizey: North Yorkshire has one of the most forget”, “N’oubliez jamais” and “Niemals vergessen”. advanced broadband programmes so far, with more Does my hon. Friend agree that the commemorations than 75,000 premises already passed. The councils in offer an excellent opportunity to remember that however north Yorkshire are to be commended for that. As my dark the hour, there is always light and hope to be hon. Friend knows, we have awarded an additional found? £250 million in order to push out our programme for rural broadband to help rural premises and businesses. Mr Vaizey: This is becoming a multilingual Question Time. Having recently visited Thurrock and seen for Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) myself the amazing cultural activity that goes on in my (PC): Recently the Prime Minister was mocked by hon. Friend’s part of the world, I have to say that the Chancellor Merkel for the slow progress in rolling out innovation he talks about does not surprise me in the broadband across the UK and the number of not spot slightest. areas, many of which reside in my constituency. Although Derek Twigg (Halton) (Lab): Will the Minister say I accept that this is largely a devolved issue, what extra a little bit about the importance of the contribution help can the Minister give the Welsh Government to of what were British empire troops—troops from ensure that when the Prime Minister next meets the Commonwealth countries of today? What exactly is German Chancellor he is not embarrassed? happening to link up with other countries to commemorate and highlight their vital contribution in the first world Mr Vaizey: More than 100,000 premises in Wales war? have already been passed and the target is to reach almost 700,000 by early 2016. If the Prime Minister sees Mr Vaizey: We have an extensive engagement with Chancellor Merkel again and wishes to discuss broadband, Commonwealth countries and we are determined to he can present her with the Ofcom scorecard, which acknowledge the role of the Commonwealth countries, shows that Britain’s broadband is better than Germany’s. recognising that the war could not have been won I would not say that this was a case of schadenfreude— without them. With your indulgence, Mr Speaker, I will except that schadenfreude is the only German word I write to the hon. Gentleman detailing exactly the activities know. we are undertaking with Commonwealth countries. Sir Nick Harvey (North Devon) (LD): Will smaller 14. [903030] Mr Robert Buckland (South Swindon) companies with innovative technologies get a slice of (Con): Will my hon.