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<p>The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely
paramount. I welcome work by the football industry to protect players from harm and
provide practical support to former players who develop neurodegenerative conditions.
One example of this is the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Football Brain
Health Fund, supported by the Premier League and announced in September 2023, which
aims to assist former players and their families who have been impacted by dementia
and other neurodegenerative conditions.</p><p>The Government continues to take the
issue of head injuries very seriously. In December 2021 DCMS published its Command
Paper report on concussion in sport; outlining the steps the government is undertaking
to help reduce risks associated with head injuries by improving understanding, awareness,
prevention and treatment of concussion in sport. As part of this, in April 2023 the
Government announced the first UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport, in conjunction
with the Sport and Recreation Alliance. This guidance is intended to be a helpful
tool in reducing the risks associated with concussion and marks an important step
in making sport safer for thousands of people who enjoy sport at a grassroots level,
as well as an aid to professional sports.</p><p>Further research on the links between
health, dementia and contact sport is needed to better understand the issue. To that
end, DCMS established a Sports Concussion Research Forum in July 2022 to identify
key research questions that need answering in this important area.</p><p>The government
remains committed to working with sports to build on the positive work that is already
taking place to mitigate the causes and effects of concussion in sport.</p>
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