PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT GENERAL COMMITTEES Public Bill Committee SPORTS GROUNDS SAFETY AUTHORITY BILL First Sitting Wednesday 19 January 2011 CONTENTS CLAUSES 1 to 9 agreed to. SCHEDULES 1 to 3 agreed to. Bill to be reported, without amendment. PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON – THE STATIONERY OFFICE LIMITED £2·50 PBC (Bill 017) 2010 - 2011 Members who wish to have copies of the Official Report of Proceedings in General Committees sent to them are requested to give notice to that effect at the Vote Office. No proofs can be supplied. Corrigenda slips may be published with Bound Volume editions. Corrigenda that Members suggest should be clearly marked in a copy of the report—not telephoned—and must be received in the Editor’s Room, House of Commons, not later than Sunday 23 January 2011 STRICT ADHERENCE TO THIS ARRANGEMENT WILL GREATLY FACILITATE THE PROMPT PUBLICATION OF THE BOUND VOLUMES OF PROCEEDINGS IN GENERAL COMMITTEES © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 1 Public Bill Committee19 JANUARY 2011 Sports Grounds Safety Authority Bill 2 The Committee consisted of the following Members: Chair: MR GRAHAM BRADY † Austin, Ian (Dudley North) (Lab) † Raab, Mr Dominic (Esher and Walton) (Con) Berger, Luciana (Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab/Co-op) † Robertson, Hugh (Minister for Sport and the † Edwards, Jonathan (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) Olympics) (PC) † Rotheram, Steve (Liverpool, Walton) (Lab) † Foster, Mr Don (Bath) (LD) † Stride, Mel (Central Devon) (Con) † Hollingbery, George (Meon Valley) (Con) Walley, Joan (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab) † Lee, Dr Phillip (Bracknell) (Con) † Wilson, Mr Rob (Reading East) (Con) † Leech, Mr John (Manchester, Withington) (LD) † Lord, Jonathan (Woking) (Con) Sarah Davies, Committee Clerk † McGovern, Alison (Wirral South) (Lab) † Qureshi, Yasmin (Bolton South East) (Lab) † attended the Committee 3 Public Bill CommitteeHOUSE OF COMMONS Sports Grounds Safety Authority Bill 4 Clause 1 allows for the authority’s name to be changed Public Bill Committee from the Football Licensing Authority to the Sports Grounds Safety Authority in line with its widened Wednesday 19 January 2011 advisory remit, and confirms that the expenses of the authority will continue to be paid from the public purse. I am delighted that my hon. Friend the Minister and [MR GRAHAM BRADY in the Chair] the shadow Minister are here. I am sure that the shadow Minister has questions. It is terrific to have alongside Sports Grounds Safety Authority Bill me the Minister, who might be able to help me to answer some of them. 9.30 am The Chair: By way of introductory remarks, may I Ian Austin (Dudley North) (Lab): Let me start by welcome hon. Members to the Committee? I propose, congratulating the hon. Member for Woking (Jonathan with the leave of the Committee, to allow a very wide Lord) on his success in the draw and on the work that debate on clause 1, and then, subject to the will of the he has done on the Bill so far. I also thank the Minister Committee, we may or may not wish to debate other and his officials for their help and advice and for the clauses separately.There is a money resolution in connection briefing that they have provided. with the Bill, copies of which are available in the room if hon. Members would like them. As has been said, the Football Licensing Authority was established in the wake of tragedies at football grounds, such as at Hillsborough in 1989. Following Clause 1 Lord Justice Taylor’s final report on that disaster, the authority was charged with responsibility for monitoring FOOTBALL LICENSING AUTHORITY TO BECOME SPORTS local authorities’ oversight of spectator safety at GROUNDS SAFETY AUTHORITY international, premiership and football league grounds. Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the The importance that hon. Members for Merseyside Bill. constituencies attach to that issue explains why a number of them are serving on this Committee and will raise issues on behalf of the residents of the city that they Jonathan Lord (Woking) (Con): Thank you, Mr Brady. represent. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I am grateful to hon. Members from all parties for taking an Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Family Support interest in the Bill and for attending the Committee this Group, for example, said that the Government morning. The Bill covers England and Wales, and I am “must make sure there is no cost-cutting on safety.” pleased that representatives are present from both England Labour Members agree with that. We believe that any and Wales. Given that the Football Licensing Authority dilution of focus on safety at football grounds would be was set up in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, a real cause for concern. That said, we recognise the I am also very pleased that hon. Members from Liverpool benefits of enabling other sports to benefit from the are here today. That is only right and appropriate. expertise that the FLA has built up. That is obviously Currently, the FLA is able to give advice only with why the Government are keen to see the Bill approved regard to safety at football grounds, so the Bill’s purpose today. However, there are a number of areas where we is to allow all the experience and expertise acquired by would like further clarification and some reassurance. I the FLA and its staff over all its years of operation to have a number of questions which I hope either the be available to other sports. Under the Bill, football hon. Member for Woking or the Minister can answer. safety will remain the authority’s core priority and main There are inevitable risks involved in changing an preoccupation. The FLA’s licensing functions and its organisation’s structure and remit and we will want local authority oversight duties will continue to relate assurances that proper measures are in place to ensure only to football grounds. Football will continue to be that public safety is not compromised during the transition the authority’s raison d’être. However, with London or following the establishment of the new organisation, hosting the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2012 and that appropriate levels of funding are provided and that with other sports potentially able to benefit from the the new organisation has the expertise to fulfil its FLA’s experience and staff, the Bill’s purpose is to allow responsibilities. the FLA to be renamed the Sports Grounds Safety So how can we be confident that the new organisation Authority and to provide safety advice on request to will be able to fulfil a wider remit when its budget is other bodies and other sports, including national or being reduced? Is it the Government’s intention that it international organisations. will be responsible for all grounds or venues at which all No amendments have been tabled, and I hope that we sports are played or just some sports? Will it have shall be able to conclude matters this morning without responsibility only for professional games or matches, the need for a subsequent sitting of the Committee. For or for amateur competition too? Will its remit cover the sake of ease, I shall try to refer to the Football grounds or events that people pay to attend or all Licensing Authority as the FLA and to what I hope will sporting events? What discussions have the Government become the Sports Grounds Safety Authority as “the had with people who were at Hillsborough or the families authority”. As Mr Brady said, we are encouraging a who were bereaved? Has the Minister considered whether broad debate at the start of the sitting. If we go on to there might be useful or relevant information relating to the substantive clauses—clauses 2, 3, 4 and 5—and crowd or ground safety that might emerge from the hon. Members wish to speak, I shall be happy to make a release of all the documents relating to the Hillsborough few introductory comments on those clauses. disaster which is due to take place over the next two years? 5 Public Bill Committee19 JANUARY 2011 Sports Grounds Safety Authority Bill 6 Have the Government consulted the Premier League, cut in the comprehensive spending review, but it was put the Football League and the Football Association about in the reserved pot—receiving a tiny cut of 4% and how well the FLA has operated so far? Have ministers being spared the much larger cuts imposed elsewhere— met representatives of fans’ organisations such as the because it was recognised as having such an important Football Supporters Federation, for example? What function. Indeed, we took out any of the original provisions discussions have taken place with governing bodies and in the Culture and Recreation Bill 2001 that we thought supporters’ organisations in other sports and what advice would be controversial to ensure that this Bill had a have the police provided about this proposal? broad measure of approval. Finally, we are also concerned about the implications I will try to run through the questions, but I am not of the Public Bodies Bill for the FLA or the new sure that my handwriting was quick enough to catch authority. Members on both sides of the Committee them all. There have been discussions with the Hillsborough will agree that the FLA has done a good job and will families.