Member

Imposing that top-down approach is well meant—the comments by the noble Baroness, Lady Young of Hornsey, the noble Lords, Lord Bassam, Lord Blunkett and Lord Mann, were wise, sensible and well meant—but we must remember that these are powers that we are giving in a very permissive Bill to an independent football regulator. They are powers that, I believe, have the potential to be misused. More importantly, there are powers already in place for local clubs to use at the grass-roots level to improve lives in the local community. For that reason, I oppose those particular amendments.