Sports Sponsorship Policy (Hansard, 17 December 1987)

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Belstead)
My Lords, my honourable friend the Minister for Sport wrote an open letter to the Chairman of the Sports Council on 19th November inviting views on the future direction of sports policies, including the scope for increasing private sponsorship of sport, to which the Government are fully committed. Sponsorship of the FA Cup and the ownership of individual clubs are matters for the football authorities and the clubs themselves.

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that information. Has he reflected on the plea from the Central Council for Physical Recreation, which represents 75 governing bodies of sports, that his plan to encourage the privatisation of sports facilities should not discourage the young and disadvantaged from sports participation? Will the Minister also recognise the fact that when famous football clubs, and even the sponsorship of the FA Cup, arc regularly put up to the highest bidder the Government have a great responsibility to achieve the right balance between private and public funding? Should he not encourage public provision whenever there is a need?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, the letter written by my honourable friend to the Chairman of the Sports Council specifically dealt with the first point asked by the noble Lord in his supplementary question. My honourable friend said that we needed to look at how we can, among other things, alleviate social deprivation. The letter goes on to read: Sport can and should be used as a policy tool in areas of high unemployment and deprivation. In particular it can provide a catalyst for channelling the energies of the young into constructive and satisfying activities contributing to their self esteem and discipline". I do not think that there is anything between what my honourable friend has said in that letter and what the noble Lord is asking.

§ Lord Gisborough
My Lords, turning to indoor tennis courts, which are often provided entirely by private enterprise, is my noble friend aware that there 824 is a high rateable value on those establishments, which increases the price paid by the public? Is it not shortsighted for there to be such high rating on private establishments when the alternative is that they will have to be taken over by the local authorities and run at a much higher cost than the benefit of the high rate that the authorities are receiving at the moment?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I should like to look at what my noble friend has said and draw it to the attention of my honourable friend the Minister for Sport. This is essentially a matter for local government, but clearly it is an important point.

§ Lord Mellish
My Lords, in recent weeks there has been a great deal of discussion as regards the activities of two well-known people, Mr. Robert Maxwell and Mr. Elton John. I recognise that the Government have no direct responsibility, but they can approach the Football Association through the Sports Council. Therefore, I should like to ask the Minister what good will be gained by prohibiting people such as Mr. Maxwell and others from investing money in the game. It is already in a parlous state—the noble Lord can take that from me, because I know something about it.

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, the noble Lord has put forward a point of view. However, the rules of the Football League prevent a single individual from having any involvement in the management or administration of more than one club. That is a matter for the league to enforce or, if the noble Lord's view prevails, to change as the league thinks best.

§ Lord Underhill
My Lords, does the Minister recall the development, initiated mainly by my honourable friend Mr. Denis Howell, in the multi-purpose use of sports facilities for schools? In view of the fact that the point raised by my noble friend's Question arises from the financial difficulties of professional football teams, is it not possible for the Government to take the initiative, through local authorities and the Sports Council, to give grant for the development of football grounds for multi-purpose activities? I am not proposing that the pitches should be used, because when a club has an excellent pitch, such as that of my Fourth Division team Leyton Orient, one does not want to see it destroyed. However, there are possibilities of developing other sports activities at football grounds, particularly under the stand, which could help the finances of the club and the local community.

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I understand the point raised by the noble Lord, and that policy has brought many sports facilities to both young and old over the past 15 to 20 years. However, I believe that the answer to the noble Lord's question is sponsorship. In that regard the news is good; the contribution of private sponsorship to sport has been growing rapidly in recent years and it currently totals approximately £160 million.

§ Lord Dean of Beswick
My Lords, I should like to ask the Minister whether he considers to be desirable 825 the fact that seven of the top snooker players—a game which has a tremendous viewing public through television—are under the management of one entrepreneur. Does he think that that is a desirable trend in the interests of sport in general?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I think that that question goes a little wide of the original Question.

§ Lord Carter
My Lords, in the light of the Minister's answer that the Government wish to encourage the sponsorship of sport, do the Government support the sponsorship of the FA Cup, and of individual clubs in the First Division of the Football League, by the manufacturers of various brands of alcohol which will then be advertised and thus consumption encouraged among the supporters? This House has recently debated the problems of alcohol abuse.

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I have no definite information as regards the present negotiations for sponsorship of the FA Cup. Sponsorship arrangements are commercial decisions for the sponsorship company, the football authorities and individual clubs. The drink industry is one which has a long and successful history of sports sponsorship and it has made a significant contribution to sport.

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, the Minister has rested very heavily on the open letter from his ministerial colleague to the chairman of the Sports Council. In view of the fact that the secretary of the CCPC has said that the letter confirmed his worst fears, and was the kiss of death for national sports governing bodies, will the Minister have a word with his parliamentary colleague the Minister for Sport in order to ensure that he goes about building bridges and not blowing them up?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, if I may say so in all friendliness to the noble Lord, I think that is one of the most extraordinary suggestions I have ever heard. A letter which starts off by saying that we have shared objectives in trying to improve the nation's health, to alleviate social deprivation and to help to promote excellence in sport, is surely a letter which all of us can agree is a good letter.