§ 3.23 p.m.
§ Lord Dean of BeswickMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support the Football Association in their attempts to persuade FIFA to lift their ban on English football teams playing abroad.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Elton)My Lords, I understand that this ban is the subject of court proceedings tomorrow, to which the Football Association and FIFA are a party. The Government would not, in any event, think it appropriate to become involved in this issue.
§ Lord Dean of BeswickMy Lords, though I fully accept that the court case tomorrow has rather caught up with this Question, and I also accept the sub judice rule, I should like to come back to this problem in the near future, if it is necessary, and so I shall not put any supplementary question today.