Free-to-air listed events review

Consultation published by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport View original »

The purpose of this consultation exercise,  is to secure the widest possible views from the public, the broadcasting industry, sports governing bodies and rights holders on the three issues that the Review is addressing in order to inform the Panel’s recommendations to the Secretary of State, with whom final decisions ultimately rest, subject to consultation with the broadcasting authorities and affected rights holders.

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This consultation started on 8th April 2009 but we couldn't automatically determine when it ends. Check its website for more information.

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This tab contains any mentions of this consultation that we could find in Hansard, the official record of what's said in Parliament. There are probably some mentions that we couldn't find -- MPs don't always use the full title of the consultation, which makes it hard to tell what they're talking about.

Listed Sporting Events

[Spoken by John Grogan on 28/04/2009]

The issue to which the hon. Gentleman refers is something that the Minister is taking up and might talk about in his closing remarks.

I wish to warn the House and, indeed, football supporters up and down the country, that FIFA—the governing body of world football—has made it perfectly clear to Ministers and the Football Association authorities that if we want to get the World cup in 2018, we have to amend our listed events legislation and that we have to substantially de-list the World cup. Ministers and the FA authorities are under pressure, which is one—although not the only—reason why the listed events review has been brought forward.

In recent weeks, two events have not exactly changed my life, but have opened my eyes. For the first—and probably the only—time in my life I was invited to the royal box at Wembley. As chairman of the all-party group on Ukraine, I sat where Her Majesty sometimes sits to present trophies, which is also where the Minister or the Secretary of State sometimes sit, depending on the nature of the trophy being given. I had the opportunity to talk to all sorts of officials from the FA that evening. Department for Culture, Media and Sport dignitaries and others were there, and it was clear that they all wanted a substantial amount of the World cup to be de-listed to sugar the pill for FIFA and to try to get it to award us the World cup in 2018. I will come back to some of the comments made that evening in a moment.

I also took part in my first Downing street webchat last week. We have to be careful when sending e-mails to Downing street these days, but I took the risk. The webchat was moderated by David Davies—an exemplary figure who is chairing the free-to-air listed events review. Incidentally, I think it is no accident that he has an FA background. I tried to intervene during the webchat debate. Someone asked what assurances could be given that the FIFA World cup would remain a listed event and David replied that the finals tournament of the FIFA World cup is on the current list and that the 2010 and 2014 World cups will be free to air. He also said that it is his job to review those and other events beyond those dates. Various people intervened. I thought that there were perhaps thousands of people on the Downing street webchat and that was why I was not able to get in. Eventually, the same name came back twice and I tried to make another intervention. I tried to ask David, "Surely, it would be a travesty if we got the 2018 World cup and most people in our country were not able to watch it, despite the amount of public money that has gone into many of our football grounds?" Eventually, I got a brief acknowledgement on the webchat, but I was not able to make an intervention.

However, I think that it is fairly clear where the FA stands. I predict that, unless we have a very strong listed events committee, some time later this year David Davies will present a report to Ministers that argues for the partial de-listing of the World cup; the only matches that would be left on the list would be those involving the home nations and perhaps the semi-finals and final. If that recommendation does go to Ministers, it will be a big test of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Is he really a man of the people? Is his heart with the real football fans of this country, as he tells us it is? Can we be confident that he will keep the World cup on free-to-air TV, despite all the pressures that will be on him? I hope that the answers to those questions in those circumstances will be, "Yes". However, as I say, there would be many pressures on him.

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