Sports: Sexual Harassment
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help tackle sexual harassment in sports settings.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock
The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. Everyone should be able to participate in sport in safe and secure environments, and where allegations about inappropriate or harmful behaviour are made, these should be taken seriously. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. Any matter meeting the criminal threshold should be taken forward through the criminal justice system. Where there is evidence that a crime may have been committed, this should be reported directly to the police.
DCMS's Arm's-Length Body for grassroots sport, Sport England, provides support to the sport and physical activity sector around preventing harm, including sexual harassment, through funding the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit. This totalled £330,917 and £527,525 respectively in 2024/25.
The Government will continue to discuss athlete safety with relevant stakeholders and the sports sector to ensure that everyone can take part in sport as safely as possible.
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