HC Deb 21 January 1985 vol 71 cc263-4W
Mr. David Atkinson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress on measures to combat violence in sport.

Mr. Macfarlane

The Government hav concentrated their efforts on the need to reduce spectator violence associated with soccer, since this properly attracts particular public concern.

Since 1979 the Government have introduced a number of measures aimed at containing and controlling "football hooliganism" at home and abroad. These include strengthening the powers and penalties available to the courts; introducing a "liaison group" to oversee and coordinate the precautions taken by the authorites concerned; drawing the attention of League clubs to the precautions which they should take; and promoting within the Council of Europe a recommendation on the reduction of spectator violence at sporting events, which sets out the precautions which the various counties and authorities should take.

We are now reviewing the current policies and measures with the football authorities. We published for consultation last August the report of an interdepartmental working group; with Ministerial colleagues from the other Departments concerned, I have beem holding a series of meetings with interested representative organisations to discuss the report's conclusions and recommendations. The organisations concerned and the dates of meetings, are:

1984–85 budgets: Current expenditure by service, percentages*
(a)

Planning and transport

 (b)

Social services

 (c)

Public protection (police and fire)

 (d)

Other Home Office services

 (e)

Recreation and environment

 (f)

Central services†
Avon 7.8 12.7 15.8 1.7 1.8 0.2
Bedfordshire 7.7 10.6 14.1 1.7 0.8 0.1
Berkshire 6.5 11.7 13.8 1.6 2.4 -0.7
Buckinghamshire 7.7 10.3 12.6 1.4 1.2 -0.2
Cambridgeshire 8.0 10.1 14.6 1.5 0.3 0.1
Cheshire 8.7 10.6 13.7 1.5 1.4 0.0
Cleveland 9.9 10.5 15.1 1.6 1.0 0.8
Cornwall 11.2 9.4 15.9 1.6 0.6 -0.2
Cumbria 10.4 10.4 15.5 1.6 1.8 -0.4
Derbyshire 7.6 12.3 14.4 1.3 1.6 -0.3
Devon 10.7 10.0 16.8 1.6 2.0 0.1
Dorset 9.4 11.4 17.5 1.9 1.6 0.0
Durham 9.0 10.1 15.5 1.7 1.2 0.7
East Sussex 8.0 14.5 17.0 2.1 2.2 -0.4
Essex 7.7 9.4 14.1 1.4 2.1 0.2
Gloucestershire 8.1 9.2 15.6 1.7 1.0 0.5
Hampshire 7.3 9.5 15.5 1.7 1.4 -0.2
Hereford and Worcester 8.1 10–3 15–2 1.8 1.5 0.0
Hertfordshire 8.3 9.5 12.8 1.5 1.7 -0.4
Humberside 8.3 10.5 15.5 1.4 1.6 0.0

  • The Football League—25 September 1984
  • The Football Trust—5 November 1984
  • The Football Grounds Improvement Trust—5 November 1984
  • The Magistrates Association—6 November 1984
  • The Association of Chief Police Officers—8 November 1984
  • The Superintendents' Association—8 November 1984
  • The Police Federation—8 November 1984
  • The All Party Back Bench Committee on Football—13 November 1984
  • The Association of County Councils—14 November 1984
  • The Association of Metropolitan Authorities — 14 November 1984
  • The London Boroughs Association—14 November 1984
  • The Association of District Councils—14 November 1984
  • The Scottish Football Association—19 November 1984
  • The Scottish Football League—19 November 1984
  • The Welsh Football Association—19 November 1984
  • The Professional Footballers' Association—26 November 1984
  • The Football League Executive Staffs' Association — 17 December 1984

At my request the Football Association has attended these meetings.

The organisations consulted are now submitting detailed written comments. Once these representations have been properly considered, the Government will make a further statement.