HC Deb 14 June 1978 vol 951 cc978-80
2. Mr. Crawford

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will next meet the chairman of the Sports Council.

The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Mr. Denis Howell)

I shall keep in close touch with the new chairman, through regular informal meetings, as I have done with his predecessors.

Mr. Crawford

Will the Minister do everything in his power to emphasise to the chairman of the Sports Council that, in turn, he should do everything in his power to ensure that FIFA does not exclude Scotland from future World Cup competitions just because Scotland does not yet have its own sovereign Parliament?

Mr. Howell

The fact that this matter has been raised by the hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends has not been very helpful. When I was recently in the Argentine and spoke to FIFA officials, I found on their part a disposition to abandon their previous attitude on this matter. I encouraged them in that direction, and this means that the home countries will continue to compete separately.

Mr. Buchan

In considering future training programmes for footballers or others, will my right hon. Friend consider including some of our sporting journalists, who, having for 12 months lauded a team, found the day afterwards that astonishingly it seemed to be the wrong team? Would not a course in constructive criticism before the event have been as useful as the continual practice of destructive criticism after the event? Does my right hon. Friend agree that in political as well as sporting affairs the left wing is very important?

Mr. Howell

Wingers of both sorts are important in a football team. I agree with my hon. Friend; I found that the depressive effect of the feed-back from the wives of footballers on what they read in our newspapers was not helpful to the Scottish players.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

Is the Minister aware that the subject of football is totally devolved? In view of the Scottish team's rather poor performance in the Argentine, does he agree that devolution is not such a good idea after all?

Mr. Howell

I am not sure where the logic of that argument takes us, since most of the members of the Scottish football team play for English football clubs.

Mr. James Johnson

Has the Minister at his meetings discussed the position of the amateur Rugby League game and its position in relation to Rugby Union?

Mr. Howell

I am glad to say that the new chairman of the Sports Council is a well-known Rugby Union international. He is getting on extremely well and is very acceptable to the Rugby League. I hope that these matters will be allowed to take their time. I am sure that satisfactory results will emerge.

Mr. Monro

I welcome the chairman of the new Sports Council in his new post. The Minister has just announced the new full grant for the Council. Will he have discussions with the chairman to see whether it is possible in practical terms to plan and construct new facilities within the 10-month remaining period of the grant, and will he consider having discussions with the Treasury about a rollover period?

Mr. Howell

This is a very difficult problem, but as it is intended that most of the additional £2 million is to be spent in small sums, mainly for the employment of specialised sports people and footballers to whom ordinary people might well respond, I do not think that the difficulty suggested by the hon. Gentleman will arise. I shall continue to examine the matter and if necessary I shall talk to the Treasury.