Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Brennan of Canton, should be very proud; I do not think there can be many people who have introduced the same Bill in consecutive Sessions, in two different Parliaments and two different Houses, with support from two different Governments. We thank him very much for his part in ushering these provisions on to the statute book. The provisions flow from the review led by the noble Baroness, Lady Casey of Blackstock, commissioned by the Football Association, into the events at the Euros final at Wembley in 2021 and the sensible recommendations of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, of which I think the noble Lord was a member in another place in the last Parliament. The previous Government supported these provisions before the general election and these Benches are happy to reiterate our support today. I am glad that extends to my noble friend Lord Moynihan, who was the author of the parent Act that the noble Lord’s Bill will amend. As noble Lords who have followed our other debates on football know, this is an area of public policy that usually passes me by. I have only ever been to one football match in my life, authorised or otherwise, and I cannot remember who won it, but I am looking forward this evening to seeing a play, “Gerry & Sewell”, which follows the adventures of two likely lads from Gateshead trying to obtain season tickets to see Newcastle United. It began in an arts space above a fried chicken shop in Whitley Bay and is playing the West End for the next two weeks. So, football touches the hearts of us all. We are very grateful to the noble Lord for his Bill and wish it a speedy passage on to the statute book.