Rallying
Questions raised in the House of Commons over WRC campaign for the country
The Minister of State at the UK’S Northern Ireland Office would be “very happy” to support a Northern Irish bid to bring the World Rally Championship to the country.
Robin Walker MP was responding to a question from
Ian Paisley MP during a House of Commons session last week. Paisley asked Walker about the support being made available to “attract major sporting and cultural events to Northern
Ireland in 2021.”
Walker responded by saying: “While any decision to bid to host major events is a matter for the [Northern Ireland] Executive, my officials are in regular contact with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and their devolved counterparts to support Uk-wide events.”
Paisley pushed further, urging: “The UK’S involvement in next season’s WRC is currently very uncertain. The WRC promoter has previously spoken about the need to rotate Rally GB into Northern Ireland. Can the Secretary of State save [Rally GB]? Will the Secretary of State assist by co-funding the event with the Northern Ireland Executive during our centenary year?”
In reply, Walker said: “The honourable gentleman is a consistent and passionate advocate of hosting a round of the [WRC] in Northern Ireland. If it does come, he will have been a driving force.
“The Government have
[already] pledged up to £2 billion to help the Executive to deliver on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland, but I would be very happy to support the Executive to foster closer ties and better collaborative working across sectors of the
UK to attract the WRC and a portfolio of other events to Northern Ireland.”
Rally GB chiefs have a contract with the Welsh Government for 2021 but currently no calendar slot. It is understood that break clauses exist in the Wales deal.