Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Lyell (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 9 January 2007.

Gambling: Sport

Question: My Lords, the Minister was kind enough to mention integrity in sport. Is he able to give me some advice on one of the better scandals north of the border? It is nothing to do with the Premier League, but concerns the club in which I have an interest, Forfar Athletic, which was made to play Peterhead with about eight sick men. I understand that the sum of £250,000 was placed on fixed-odds betting. Forfar lost 8-0. I am not sure what the payout was, but corruption does not necessarily have to be in the Premier League. Can the Minister give me some advice on what might be done and, above all, on whether the rules apply on both sides of the border?

Answer: My Lords, the noble Lord will recognise that jurisdiction in the affairs of football and football clubs in Scotland is the priority of the Scottish Football Association. We are concerned, and in our 10-point plan, we are seeking to create standards across all sport in the United Kingdom as a whole to ensure that some of these practices are stamped out.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 688 c113
Session: 2006-07
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Disclosure of information Betting Licensing Governing bodies Sports
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk