2. Will the First Minister make a statement on the importance of professional sport to Wales? OAQ(5)0597(FM)

Professional sport brings a number of important benefits to Wales, particularly to Swansea. Of course, I know the Member will, no doubt, ask about Swansea City AFC and their successful campaign this year to stay in the Premier League. But, of course, we know that professional sport is a catalyst not just to increase participation rates in sport, but it can also give people in cities and nations a feel-good factor, and, of course, the Euros of last year were an example of how that can happen in Wales.

Can I thank the First Minister for that response? Can I highlight the importance of professional sport in promoting the identity of an area and generating wealth within the economy? I want to stress the importance of Swansea City staying in the premiership, for the economy of Swansea bay city region, for tourism in the Swansea bay city region, and for name recognition of Swansea. Will the First Minister join me in congratulating Swansea on staying in the premiership, which benefits the whole of Wales?

Yes, I will. It’s hugely important that we have a team that not just gets into the Premier League, but stays there. Also important to note, of course, the successful campaign by Newport County to stay in League 2. We all saw the scenes when the final goal was scored, a minute before the end of normal time. I can see the Member for Newport East—I’m sure the Member for Newport West as well—beaming, when I mentioned that. But, it is true to say that professional sport is a hugely important economic catalyst. We know, for example, that Swansea’s presence in the Premier League has been hugely important in creating tourism for the area, in terms of improving hotel rate occupancy and, of course, in improving spend by visitors to the city, and beyond.

First Minister, grass-roots training in football is so often crucial to future development of young players to a more professional level. Currently, however, three of our four Welsh police forces are now investigating allegations of historic child sexual abuse at this level, with the Football Association chairman, Greg Clarke, calling this the biggest crisis in football. First Minister, in north Wales, there are several accusations of an historical nature that it is felt must be investigated. Steve Walters of the Offside Trust, and, indeed, one of my own constituents, PC Mike Smith, both of whom have suffered, are leading calls for the Football Association of Wales to launch a full inquiry into this matter. Will you work with your Cabinet Secretary to support those calls and, in doing so, provide an environment where children seeking to fulfil their ambitions in the sport, to a more professional level, are able to do so safely?

We know that a safe environment is crucial for children and young people if they want to enjoy sport. We know that standards at one time were far laxer than they are now. These are matters primarily for the FAW and for the police. But it is hugely important that as much assurance as possible can be given, that any allegations in the past or, indeed, the present, are investigated fully, so as we can ensure that our children and young people continue to have a safer environment now and in the future.

I was delighted that the Assembly unanimously last week supported a Plaid Cymru amendment to the Public Health (Wales) Bill, which will mean that there will be a Government strategy to tackle obesity on the face of that Bill. And I’m grateful to Members of all parties and to the Government for supporting that. Does the First Minister agree that our clubs and professional sporting organisations, as well as grass-roots sports, will need to have an input to the creation of that strategy, in order to ensure that we have a strategy that can truly tackle the greatest problem, perhaps, facing us in terms of public health?

Well, yes, that’s right, because, although sports in the community are vital to ensure that people are active within the community, professional teams can set an example, especially to young people. They see their heroes coming to talk to them and telling them how important healthy living is. So, there is a vital role for professional clubs as regards ensuring that we do address obesity.

Swansea City and Newport County FC are both important focuses in their communities. And community morale will rise in those places as a result of those teams’ success. The problem we have sometimes with professional football clubs is that they tend now to be foreign owned. Two of the three football league clubs—[Interruption.] Well, no, it’s not going to be an EU thing. Sometimes, they do become distant from their fan base, whereas, at the same time, they are also important assets in the community. So, I wondered is there any way in which the Welsh Government can help to preserve them in their role as assets in the community.

Well, Swansea City, of course, did that successfully. Cardiff City, which was mentioned, we want to see back in the Premier League next year. Before long, I’ll have to go round Wales and mention several clubs, and wish them all success. Wrexham—yes, and all other football clubs in Wales and, indeed, any sporting clubs, playing at any level, the best of luck for next year.

But he is right that it is hugely important that fans are given the opportunity to own their clubs. Bayern Munich, if I remember rightly, is fan owned. It’s a model that is used quite regularly in Germany. And I do worry that, where there is a lack of commitment by some owners—I don’t mention Cardiff City; the ownership there has been settled for some time—but, in some clubs, the question has to be asked, are the owners properly committed to the clubs in the way that fans could be? We saw in Swansea City the resurrection of that club because of the dedication and the money of supporters who were willing to put the money in, and, as a result, of course, that club is very strongly embedded in their community.