HC Deb 18 November 1969 vol 791 cc1090-1
9. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps Her Majesty's Government is taking to combat hooliganism during and after football matches.

Mr. Denis Howell

At my instigation the football authorities took part in a working party to consider measures that might be adopted to improve crowd control in football grounds. I hope to receive its report very shortly.

Hooliganism outside football grounds is a matter for my right hon. Friend the

Home Secretary, and I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department on 16th October to Questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, North-West (Sir B. Janner) and the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mr. Hastings).—[Vol. 788, c. 594–5.]

Mr. Dalyell

Is it true that the degree of co-operation shown to the working party has varied significantly as between club and club? What do the Government propose to do to move along the less enlightened clubs in this respect?

Mr. Howell

The working party consisted not only of representatives of the Football Associations and the Football Leagues but also of the Home Office, the Scottish Office, supporters and secretaries, and the degree of co-operation from all of them was extremely high. I was delighted by the degree of co-operation and by the unanimity with which it produced a report.

Sir G. Nabarro

Are the terms of reference of the working party wide enough to take account of contemporary disturbances at Springbok matches and include rugby football as well as soccer football?

Mr. Howell

While many soccer men would no doubt like to take over responsibility for rugby football, I am glad to say that this was not right and proper in an inquiry dealing exclusively with soccer—association football.