HC Deb 17 February 1988 vol 127 cc964-5
5. Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will next meet the president of the Football League to discuss the membership card scheme.

Mr. Ridley

My hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for sport is in regular contact with the president of the Football League. They will meet next on 21 March.

Mr. Pendry

When the Minister with responsibility for sport eventually skates back from the winter Olympic Games at Calgary, will the Secretary of State concentrate his junior Minister's mind less on the problems of Eddie the eagle and more on the larger problems affecting our national game? In particular, will he tell him that membership card schemes are not working, that they are not the answer to the hooligan problem, and that more flexibility is needed at club level? Following the recent cup tie between West Ham United and Queen's Park Rangers, the chief superintendent of police said that the membership card scheme caused the club problems. Will the Secretary of State ask the Minister to reconvene meetings with the football authorities to ensure that a solution is based on common sense?

Mr. Ridley

I would not dream of telling my hon. Friend what he should think or do. He is far more expert in these matters than I am. Let me include the hon. Gentleman in this general protestation of ignorance, because I have to tell him that in connection with the match between Queen's Park Rangers and West Ham on 30 January, the Metropolitan police said that the membership scheme was at fault. However, it was an all-ticket match. The problem stemmed from the circulation of forged tickets to West Ham supporters.

Mr. David Evans

Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is up to the Football League and the Football Association to put their house in order and that that is not the responsibility of the Government? We are pleased to see the police carrying out dawn raids, arresting people and seizing crossbows, truncheons, guns, pistols, and so on. If the Football League and the Football Association are not prepared to put their house in order, does my right hon. Friend agree that it would then be the responsibility of the Government to ensure that people are able to conduct their business on a Saturday afternoon in the way that they wish? May I remind my right hon. Friend that there is a membership scheme at a well-known football club and that there have been no arrests for 18 months —apart from the day when we allowed away supporters back?

Mr. Ridley

I congratulate that football club on the success of its membership scheme. I commend that scheme to all clubs. Obviously, we would like the football authorities put their own house in order and continue to improve their record on crowd control, violence and hooliganism. If that does not happen, it will be very difficult for the Government not to take action. I hope that we shall very soon see the action that my hon. Friend mentioned and would like to see.

Mr. Menzies Campbell

Will the Secretary of State convey to the Minister with responsibility for sport on his return from the winter Olympics the view that the best hope for professional football in Britain rests in the provision of attractive and comfortable facilities for spectators and, in particular, in the attraction once more of families as spectators? Will he suggest to the president of the Football League that football in general would benefit very much if clubs applied those policies, which are undoubtedly in the interests of the clubs and of the game itself?

Mr. Ridley

On his return, I shall certainly pass on to my hon. Friend what the hon. and learned Gentleman has said. I think that my hon. Friend and I entirely agree with the hon. and learned Gentleman. What we are talking about is how to achieve it.

Mr. Harry Greenway

Does my right hon. Friend agree that, valuable as membership schemes are and could be, it would be even better if police and clubs did not admit to grounds anybody who was the worse for drink and if the clubs themselves did not sell drink to spectators? That would help enormously to overcome the very serious violence that continues at football matches.

Mr. Ridley

I am subject to correction, but I think that certain measures are already being taken in the direction that my hon. Friend suggests.