Today in the House of Commons Chamber, the Member of Parliament for Eastleigh, Mims Davies, asked Ministers at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport what action they were taking to ensure that appropriate safeguarding regimes are in place for all children taking part in sport.
Responding, the Minister for Sport, Tracy Crouch, first acknowledged that it had been a year since former footballer, Andy Woodward, bravely came forward about abuse that he has received, leading to both the Government and the sporting sector taking very seriously the concerns surrounding abuse within the sector.
The Minister then went on to confirm that she was pleased to be able to announce that she had secured Ministerial agreement from colleagues at the Ministry of Justice and Home Office that would pave the way for changes to the law that relate to the Position of Trust, meaning that it would soon include sports coaches.
Welcoming the news, the MP for Eastleigh Mims Davies said:
“As my constituents will know, I am passionate about getting more women and girls, both in Eastleigh as well as across the country, involved in sport.”
“The Government has carried out some excellent work through the This Girl Can campaign, which I warmly welcome, but as Andy Woodward so rightly and bravely highlighted last year, we must ensure that appropriate safeguarding’s are put in place to ensure that protections for all children taking part in sport are properly in place.”
“I therefore hugely welcome the announcement today from the Minister for Sport Tracy Crouch, confirming that plans are underway to change the law, and include sports coaches with the Position of Trust.”