Thread by @KevinBrennanMP

Here's a short thread of the questions I asked the Minister for Sport, Nigel Huddleston MP, in the latest session of @CommonsDCMS' inquiry into #concussion in sport. (1/8)

In most jobs health and safety is of paramount importance and action can be taken when/where it fails. I asked the Minister what is stopping concussion in professional sport being seen as an industrial disease. (2/8)

I then asked the Minister why brain injuries through sport are not classed as an industrial disease. He says it's only recently we've seen a correlation between concussion and dementia. I then told him the PFA report says dementia in boxers was identified in the 1920s. (3/8)

I asked the Minister if he thought campaigners were setting the bar too high to class dementia, caused by concussion in professional sport, as an industrial disease. He says it's a legal grey area - "did the sports person get the injury on field or because of a bar brawl." (4/8)

Next I asked the Minister if he was surprised that the Health and Safety Executive doesn't provide oversight on injuries in sport and if the government should play a key role in ensuring there is oversight in the future to reduce concussion and other injuries. (5/8)

I then asked the Minister if professional sports clubs should be required to report injuries such as concussion and if the government would legislate for such a requirement. He says he's wary of legislating if legislation is not required, but doesn't rule it out. (6/8)

I put it to the Minister that no one wants legislation if there's no need, but if there's no legal means that would require ex-professionals to be given more support for respite and treatment from their sport then the government will have to legislate for it to happen. (7/8)

To finish, I pointed out that the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) concluded in 2005 that there wasn't enough evidence to recommend the prescription of dementia in boxers or footballers. If we wait for 110% proof too many will suffer, urgent action is needed now. (8/8)