1. What action has the Welsh Government taken with regards to supporting the introduction of safe standing facilities in football stadiums? OAQ55022

The Welsh Government has not undertaken any action to support the proposal that the Member refers to.

Thank you for that response, Deputy Minister. I appreciate you and I have had discussions on this previously, and you've responded via a ministerial letter indicating that Welsh Government wouldn't be supporting such a reintroduction. It is a fact, though, that at the recent Westminster general election three parties—the Liberals, the Labour Party and the governing party, the Conservative Party—had this as a manifesto commitment. And Nigel Adams, the sports Minister, has now had a report on this very subject. Could I encourage you, Minister, to engage with the sports Minister in Westminster so that Welsh stadiums aren't left behind? We do have teams, such as Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, playing in the English football league, and it's important that, from a Government point of view, where assistance might or might not be offered, we are in those negotiations and discussions, so that stadiums in Wales do not get left behind when this proposal is enacted at Westminster. 

Of course, we follow closely the developments in this area in the sports department in the UK Government, but my understanding is that the current regime ensures that the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, as the licensing authority, is responsible for admitting spectators to football grounds, which include all in the FA, Premier League and the English football league along with Wembley and Principality stadiums. Clearly, where Welsh teams participate in those leagues, they are covered when they are in stadia in England; under this legislation, they will be covered. 

The Racecourse ground in Wrexham, north Wales, is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches, having hosted Wales's first home international match in 1877. Deputy Minister, many colleagues from north Wales and on all sides of the Chamber have recognised the need for development and investment in the stadium, and I recognise the work of Llyr Gruffydd in particular. [Interruption.] Apologies. With the question of safe standing in mind, Deputy Minister, this would be a perfect way to develop and upgrade the stadium while keeping the historic feel of the ground. Deputy Minister, do you believe that this is an area, on all sides, that we could work on to deliver a twenty-first century sports stadium in north Wales?

I am also aware of the representations made informally—as she is able to do as the constituency Member for Wrexham—by Lesley Griffiths. So, now we've got a coalition of Griffithses. [Laughter.]

The future of the Racecourse is the responsibility of the owners of the Racecourse, and if there are any proposals in any part of Wales for the development of further sporting activity, including football and other sports, we would be very happy to discuss it, with Sport Wales, of course, as our major body for this matter. 

We have invested substantially as a Welsh Government in Colliers park, because that was the kind of facility that the Football Association of Wales wanted to see in Wrexham to mirror what happens in Newport. And we are very much guided in this case not by the ambitions of politicians, but by the interests of our sporting bodies.