§ 17. Mr. Randallasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on action he has taken to improve safety at football grounds.
§ Mr. HurdA detailed account was given to the House by my predecessor on 24 July [Vol. 83; c. 1045–1048] of actions taken or about to be taken in response to the findings of the interim report from the committee of inquiry into crowd safety and control at sports grounds. I am arranging for details of further action taken since then to be circulated in theOfficial Report. We now await the inquiry's final report, which we shall consider carefully when it becomes available.
Following is the information:
Since the detailed account given on 24 July of actions taken or about to be taken in response to the findings of the interim report from the committee of inquiry into crowd safety and control at sports grounds, the Government have written to local authorities, chief officers of police, chief fire officers and the main sporting bodies urging constructive responses to the interim report to achieve improvement in safety. Action has also been set in hand to improve liaison arrangements between authorities and the Health and Safety Executive and consideration is being given to the setting up of a local register of sports grounds.The Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act was passed in July. Three photographic vans — hoolivans — are now available for taking high quality video and still photographs outside grounds and the police have introduced a new system of exchanging information about supporters who have misbehaved or are likely to misbehave. The Football Trust has provided funds for the installation of closed circuit television in the grounds of first and second division clubs in the Football League and the premier division in Scotland. The Football League is introducing a partial supporter membership scheme for division 1 and 2 clubs. The working group chaired by my hon. Friend the Minister of Sport continues to discuss the implementation of particular measures to combat hooliganism and to review any new proposals that come forward.In August, designation orders came into effect requiring all previously non-designated grounds of football clubs in the 3rd and 4th divisions of the Football League with capacity for more than 10,000 spectators and all grounds of clubs in divisions 1 and 2 of the Rugby League with capacity for more than 10,000 spectators to apply for certification under the provisions of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975.