§ 82. Mr. Brandon-BravoTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will outline the national and international steps taken to implement the proposals outlined in the Government's report on drug abuse in sport.
§ Mr. MoynihanNationally, the Sports Council began implementation on 1 April of a new drug-testing regime which provides for:
- (i) Testing to be undertaken by independent sampling officers
- (ii) Random selection of competitors
- (iii) Testing out of competition
- (iv) Publication of adverse findings and action taken by governing bodies of sport.
Under this new regime, for which the Government allocated an additional £180,000 to the council's budget this year, testing has already taken place at over 100 events and 56 out-of-competition tests have been taken.
Internationally, I proposed to Council of Europe Sports Ministers in Athens on 2 June that a European convention should be drawn up. Such a convention would be legally binding on the states which ratified it. Among other things, it would reflect international agreement to the principles of an independent testing regime set out in the report which Sebastian Coe and myself produced last summer. I am pleased that my European colleagues accepted my proposal. Additionally, the Council of Europe's working group on effective anti-doping measures is considering amendments to the existing European 619W charter which will take account of the proposals set out in our report; the first permanent world conference on anti-doping in Ottowa on 26–29 June will bring sports organisations together to consider a worldwide charter in line with the proposals in our report; and the European sports conference which includes eastern bloc countries and which meets in Sweden in October will consider the adoption and promotion of out-of-competition testing.