Member

Moving to those amendments relating to the concept of restricted competition, in the name of my noble friends Lord Bassam of Brighton and Lady Taylor of Bolton, I recognise the intent behind these amendments, which is to prevent clubs from prioritising certain competitions over others. However, it is the Government’s belief that this is an issue beyond the scope of this Bill and the regulator. It is right that the regulator has the power to prohibit competitions that fundamentally risk undermining the sustainability of English football. However, we do not think it is right to dictate how clubs participate in competitions that are not prohibited. For example, we would be asking it to judge and prove whether a club’s team selection for a Champions League game relative to an FA Cup game constituted prioritisation. These are sporting matters that any financial regulator should not interfere in.