Member

Amendments 152 and 167 were also tabled in the name of my noble friends Lord Bassam of Brighton and Lady Taylor of Bolton. It is vital that the regulator has the necessary protections and enforcement mechanisms in place for its regime, so that clubs and their fans are protected from those owners who would seek to do them harm. We understand why this mechanism has been suggested to give further protection from unsuitable owners. However, I reassure my noble friends that the Bill already suitably achieves this and offers the safety that fans and others will be seeking if an owner is found unsuitable. Indeed, the regulator already has the power to require a club to make constitutional changes if the regulator considers that that is an appropriate way to secure an unsuitable owner’s removal, and it has the power to enforce against any non-compliance.