Written question asked by Lord Moynihan (Conservative) on Thursday, 6 December 2018, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 December 2018. It was answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde (Conservative) on Wednesday, 19 December 2018 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Sports: Drugs

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what sanctions are in place for pre-meditated doping in professional sport; whether those sanctions are comparable to sanctions in place for fraud offences; and what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of such sanctions when used.

Answer: UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), an Arm's Length Body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) implements the UK’s Anti-Doping Policy, which in the most serious cases, and for repeat offences, can impose life-bans for Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV). There remains the opportunity, if evidence indicates, to work in partnership with law enforcement to investigate a case where a criminal offence may have been committed, and thus criminal sanctions may apply.

Secondary information