§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will allocate resources for the improvement of facilities and safety at football grounds; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TraceyThis issue was considered by the working group set up by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, in May 1985, following the decision to extend designation under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 to Football League grounds in Division 3 and 4. The Group, which I later chaired, included representatives from the Football Association, the Football League, the Football Trust and the Football Grounds Improvement Trust.
At its last meeting on 18 February, the group concluded that the clubs, together with FGIT, would be able to fund the cost of the necessary safety work over a five-year period without assistance from public funds. The Football Trust has made funds available to help meet the cost of safety improvements at those non-League grounds that have since also been designated under the Act.
The Sports Council has allocated £480,000 to assist the Football Association meet its share of the cost of 585W improvement work at Wembley stadium. The council's contribution is in recognition of Wembley's role as the national stadium for association football.