Sports Council (Hansard, 2 November 1988)

§ 9. Mr. Jessel
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Sports Council.

§ Mr. Moynihan
I regularly meet the chairman of the Sports Council. The next occasion will be on 10 November.

§ Mr. Jessel
When my hon. Friend meets the chairman, will he discuss the damage to the goodwill of the Sports Council because of its part funding of a horrible scheme to erect eight floodlight towers, 52 ft high and emitting 66,000 W in the heart of a residential area of Teddington? Richmond-upon-Thames council scheme is so unpopular that two public meetings voted against it, first by 132 to 17 and later by over 400 to 12. Will my hon. Friend invite the chairman of the Sports Council to consider instead an improved playing field for Teddington school, but without any floodlights?

§ Mr. Moynihan
I am aware of the Teddington school scheme and my hon. Friend's detailed representations on the subject. He will understand that, on planning grounds, I have no locus to intervene, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already published his decision not to call in. However, I am aware that further local developments of significance to the sports initiative are now available, and I undertake to ensure that the chairman of the Sports Council receives details of my hon. Friend's representations to the House and myself.

§ Mr. Pendry
The Minister seems to be quite proud of his so-called streamlined Sports Council, but should he not feel quite ashamed that, despite the great successes of our black athletes at the Olympic games, he has chosen this time to snub ethnic minority sports people by removing their representation from his diminished Sports Council?

§ Mr. Moynihan
I regard that as a deeply offensive reflection on the enormous hard work that has been done by members of the Sports Council, whatever their colour, on behalf of everybody who enjoys participation in sport and the development of excellence. I am glad to say that we in this country do not have positive discrimination in public appointments, based on colour. It is quite right and proper that we put people into the Sports Council who are competent and capable of reflecting the needs of everybody in the community on their merits.

§ Mr. John Carlisle
When my hon. Friend next meets the chairman of the Sports Council, who is also the chairman of Liverpool football club, will he re-emphasise to him Her Majesty's Government's determination to press ahead with a full membership scheme for soccer at an early opportunity, based on the lines of the successful experiment at Luton Town football club, as being the only real answer to hooliganism and violence which, sadly, still besmirch the game of football?

§ Mr. Moynihan
Yes, Sir. Those guilty of hooliganism must be stopped from entering football grounds. A full package of measures for inside and outside grounds is needed.

§ Mr. Menzies Campbell
When the Minister next meets the chairman of the Sports Council, will he draw his attention to an article in today's edition of The Independent, which outlines the plight of the British Bobsleigh Association and the British Ski Federation, both of which have had to abandon plans for their high-level competitors? Does the Minister accept that 1014 receptions at No. 10 Downing street are no substitute for proper, substantial and systematic support for our Olympic competitors?

§ Mr. Moynihan
Of course. Receptions were never intended to be a substitute, nor has anybody ever suggested that they should be. The hon. and learned Gentleman will know that, in the build-up to an Olympic games, the Sports Council places additional resources available to several governing bodies in the Olympic games. If we separate the Olympic review money, as I wish The Independent had done, to give a fair representation, we will note that, over the past three years, money going from the Sports Council to the British Ski Federation has risen from £207,500 to £227,500, and to a higher figure of £236,000.

§ Mr. Lord
When my hon. Friend next meets the chairman of the Sports Council, will he suggest to him that the Seoul Olympic games should be the last in their present form? Is he aware that many lovers of sport believe that they were rather more of a professional sporting circus than a true Olympic event, which will be remembered more for the drugs that were taken than for sporting achievements? Will he urgently consider establishing a permanent site for the Olympic games, perhaps in Greece? More important, will he take urgent steps to try to re-establish true amateurism among participants in the games, to try to regain the true spirit of the Olympics?

§ Mr. Moynihan
I do not accept the premises that my hon. Friend has brought to the attention of the House. However, I will raise his specific comments with the chairman of the Sports Council, although it would be even better if my hon. Friend were to direct his comments towards the British Olympic Association.

§ Mr. Denis Howell
Will the Minister kindly tell us why last weekend he was selectively and anonymously engaged in leaking new Government proposals to tax football transfers in order to pay for the Government's new computer? Why did the Minister not have the decency to make a statement instead of leaking the proposals to two political journalists? Why was "football" not consulted about this new proposal? Why is it that this week 60 sports have learnt that their grants are to be cut, when there has been no consultation whatever with them or the Central Council of Physical Recreation, as is required by the royal charter for sport? Is it not clear that we no longer have a Ministry for sport, but instead have a dictatorship for sport, headed by the absurd figure of this Minister?

§ Mr. Moynihan
I never behave selectively and anonymously. The right hon. Gentleman's allegations are complete nonsense. I spent Saturday in my constituency and Sunday enjoying a relaxing day with my family.