MPs to explore major events strategies and safety at sporting events – Tomorrow at 10am
The lessons that can be learnt from how events are organised in the devolved nations and event safety will be the topics of discission during the third oral evidence session of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s major events inquiry.
Meeting details
The Committee will first hear from the head of events at VisitScotland on the major events landscape north of the border and the benefits of having a dedicated agency operating under a national strategy.
MPs will likely explore whether the UK Government could take a more coherent approach to organising events and discuss the case for developing a UK major events strategy.
The second part of the session will focus on the safety and regulation aspects of major events with witnesses from the Sports Grounds Safety Authority and the UK Crowd Management Association.
There are likely to be questions on Safety Advisory Groups, which provide specialist advice to local authorities about the safety of sporting events. With their role highlighted last year over the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa, the Committee could ask about their powers, the extent to which they involve communities in their decisions, and whether they operate consistently across the country.
Members could also explore the status of discussions around who is responsible for bearing the cost of policing major events and the surrounding area.
The major events inquiry was launched last summer to look at examples of best practice across the sector and the role of the UK Government in providing support for events, including internationally recognised sporting competitions, national celebrations and festivals, which generate significant economic activity, media coverage and cultural impact.
The Committee previously took evidence from industry and trade body representatives to explore the shared challenges faced across the cultural, sporting and music events sectors, while a session has also been held on legacy planning and overseas growth and export opportunities.