§ 12. Mr. PoundTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what progress is being made to secure the staging of the 2006 world cup in England.[372]
§ Mr. BanksMay I congratulate my hon. Friend on winning Ealing, North and so freeing the House from the grip of the Ealing One? The Government fully support the Football Association's bid for the 2006 world cup. I have already had positive discussions with the FA, and we are assisting it as much as we can.
§ Mr. PoundI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. I add my congratulations on his team's success on Saturday and note that it was a comparatively rare success for the Blues. I ask my hon. Friend to redouble his efforts to secure the world cup in 2006. As I think everyone in the House knows, the United Kingdom wins the world cup only when under a Labour Government.
§ Mr. BanksI thank my hon. Friend. I was quite happy at Wembley to be singing about keeping the blue flag flying—but, I hasten to add, not politically. It is essential that we get the 2006 world cup. It is in our manifesto. We cannot compel that to happen, but we have given an undertaking that we shall do whatever is necessary to get the world cup for 2006. The country is looking at a sports-orientated Government, starting from No. 10 Downing street and working right the way through to my humble level.