§ 14. Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will meet the football authorities to discuss arrangements for the World Cup.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI met the chairman and secretaries of the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on 1 December last to discuss the general problems of hooliganism abroad by British football supporters and the possibility, in particular, of hooliganism in Spain during the World Cup series.
§ Mr. CanavanWill the Minister congratulate Scotland and Northern Ireland on qualifying for the World Cup finals—and, of course, England, which managed to scrape home by the skin of its teeth? What steps are being taken to ensure that football fans receive a fair allocation of tickets without being subject to exploitation by unscrupulous ticket touts and travel agents? What steps are being taken to warn all football fans in advance to be on their best behaviour in Spain, especially in view of some of the recent examples of hooliganism on the part of English football fans abroad, who may be even more incensed when they see Scotland win the World Cup?
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI shall refrain from speculation about the outcome. One might have hoped that the hon. Gentleman would include some commiseration for the Welsh, who did not quite make it but who, by all rights, should have been there. I am deeply concerned about the problems to which he referred. My officials are in Spain now, visiting all the centres with Spanish representatives. One of my officials also chairs a working party comprising representatives of the Football Association, the Foreign Office and Sports World Travel. All of these matters are under discussion, and I shall personally visit Madrid on 4 and 5 February to discuss these matters further.
§ Mr. McQuarrieWhen my hon. Friend meets the chairmen of the various associations, will he endeavour to persuade them to give a larger allocation to the National Federation of Football Supporters Clubs, as it is the most responsible supporters' body covering the whole of Great Britain? Does he agree that it was proved at the last international that its allocation of tickets to supporters was most satisfactory, in that there was no hooliganism?
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI shall certainly look into that point. It is one of the matters that we shall be discussing in the next few weeks.