Football: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2026 to Question 110748 on Football: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, what mechanisms the Government uses to hold National Governing Bodies to account for player welfare where evidence links participation in football to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock
National Governing Bodies (NGBs), such as The Football Association, operate independently of Government. However, we absolutely expect NGBs, who are responsible for the regulation of their sports, to do all they can to protect their participants from harm, including in relation to head impact and injury.
Mitigating the causes and effects of repetitive head impacts in sport is of huge importance to the Government. As part of our ongoing work in this area, we are actively discussing this issue with the football authorities and will be convening a Ministerial roundtable.
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