§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government: When they intend to establish an anti-doping agency, independent of UK Sport, with a reporting structure direct to the Minister of Sport. [HL168]
Lord Mclntosh of HaringeyI refer the noble Lord to my Written Answer of 23 October 2003(Official Report, WA196). UK Sport under the leadership of its new chair, Sue Campbell, is undergoing a review of its functions which includes the role and responsibility for anti-doping arrangements in the UK.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the United Kingdom's current anti- doping arrangements are compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency Code with regard to (a) mandatory aspects of the code; and (b) best practice suggested by the code. [HL169]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyUK Sport, the UK's national anti-doping agency, is currently revising the national anti-doping policy for sport's national governing bodies to achieve compliance with the articles of the World Anti-Doping Code for Olympic sports in time for the 2004 Games in Athens, and for non-Olympic sports by April 2005.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government: On which dates discussions have been held with the Football Association to (a) review its anti-doping procedure; and (b) consider individual doping offences; and whether they will provide summary progress reports from each meeting. [HL170]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe matter of reviewing football's anti-doping programme is for the Football Association and the UK's national anti-doping agency, UK Sport.
The UK Government do not comment on individual cases where athletes have committed a doping offence. Disciplinary procedures including the imposing of sanctions is a matter for sport's national governing bodies.
My right honourable friend the Minister for Sport intends to meet the Football Association and UK Sport to discuss anti-doping early in the New Year. The Government do not intend to make available reports of meetings with the Football Association for reasons of confidentiality, in accordance with Exemption 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. Disclosure would harm the position of the Football Association, and undermine any frank and candid discussions.
§ Lord Moynihanasked Her Majesty's Government: What was the annual budget for UK Sport's anti-doping work for the years 1996–97 to 2003–04; and what the budget will be for the years up to 2006–07. [HL171]
59WA
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyFunding for UK Sport's anti-doping work for the years 1996–97 to 2005–06 is shown in the following table. Figures for 2006–07 will be determined following the outcome of the 2004 spending review.
Year Amount £000 1996–971 288 1997–98 1,149 1998–99 1,199 1999–2000 1,468 2000–01 1,380 2001–02 1,507 2002–03 1,917 2003–42 2,033 2004–05 3,000 2005–06 4,500 Notes:
1 K Sport was established by Royal Charter in July 1996 and became fully operational on 1 January 1997. The expenditure recorded is for three months only.
2Figures for 2003–04 and beyond are indicative only.