National Anti-Doping Policy Consultation
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Detail of outcome
Formal Response to the National Anti-Doping Policy Consultation
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) held a consultation on the effectiveness of the National Anti-Doping Policy from 11 October 2019 to 25 November 2019. Since then, finalising the policy has taken longer than expected due to prolonged stakeholder engagement. However, we are confident that the policy meets its intended objectives as UK Anti-Doping have remained in close contact with all stakeholders to ensure they are in agreement with their responsibilities and that these are fit for purpose. The responses to the consultation, and how the department has used them to shape the revised policy, are detailed below.
DCMS received 73 individual responses from a wide variety of roles, organisations and backgrounds, including current or retired athletes, sport participants, sport followers/attendees and National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs). DCMS received 61 responses on behalf of organisations including NGBs, public sector partners and sports administration bodies.
The consultation captured views about the roles and responsibilities for each of the primary actors within the national anti-doping landscape:
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD)
The majority of respondents believed that UKAD had been fulfilling the responsibilities expected of it as the UK’s National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) and felt UKAD’s performance measures were appropriate. However, some respondents stated that UKAD should broaden its work to include tackling the issue of drug misuse in gyms through education and communication, and increase testing at lower levels of sport. Other respondents stated that UKAD should alter its work practices to include greater transparency when dealing with cases and foster more collaboration with NGBs. Some respondents suggested potential developments, including comparisons with other NADOs and targets for reducing doping offences.
As a result of this feedback, the revised policy now includes additional information about UKAD’s testing and how it is conducted in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards for Testing and Investigations. The revised policy includes an updated Education section and a separate, new Research section for UKAD which highlights its commitment to cover a range of pertinent anti-doping areas. The Results Management section has been updated to clarify how UKAD will continue its collaborative work with NGBs. It specifically references how UKAD will consult them on all potential violations, except on Adverse Analytical Findings to avoid compromising an investigation.
While not mentioned in the policy, UKAD is part of a number of international anti-doping fora which allows it to compare progress and work collaboratively with other NADOs on a global scale. Additionally, UKAD’s strategy and business documents outline the detailed work they carry out, so the policy has not been updated to reflect specific details like work related to drug misuse in gyms.
National Governing Bodies of sport
The majority of respondents acknowledged that NGBs play a vital role in the fight for clean sport and felt NGBs were sufficiently contributing to the testing, sanctioning and associated costs of UKAD. However, some proposed NGBs should be making further financial contributions to anti-doping. Some respondents felt NGBs should take on more anti-doping responsibilities, including holding workshops for athletes and support staff and working more closely with UKAD. The majority of respondents also believed that there needed to be a formal system for non-compliance with the policy, enabling NGBs the time to resolve issues with a clear set of potential consequences.
NGBs are taking on a range of new responsibilities in the revised policy, including anti-doping representation at board level, the addition of an NGB anti-doping lead, and a requirement to create and implement an anti-doping education strategy for their athletes. The policy includes a new section about compliance with the Assurance Framework, which is a document specifically designed by UKAD to support NGBs with their responsibilities. DCMS has also included a new section on Intelligence, Data and Information-Sharing” and new responsibilities to existing sections like “Testing” to enhance collaborative work between NGBs and UKAD.
The revised policy continues to reflect that NGBs may receive ‘public interest testing’ free of charge and can also choose to procure contracted anti-doping services at an additional cost to them. The existing policy already includes a process for non-compliance which clearly sets out timeframes, steps for resolution, and potential consequences. DCMS have used the same process in the revised policy, but have expanded the scope of its application to include sports councils and institutes to ensure increased accountability with the policy.
Sports Councils
Respondents did not deem any changes to the roles and responsibilities of Sports Councils necessary. The Home Nation Sports Councils and UK Sport were perceived to have an important role to play in anti-doping, including supporting NGBs and UKAD and working with other bodies where relevant on anti-doping issues.
The revised policy includes Sports Institutes as a distinct entity to reflect that some sit independently of Sports Councils. They have however been included in the same section as Sports Councils and operate with the same roles and responsibilities.
The Home Nation Commonwealth Games Associations, British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association
Respondents agreed that these organisations had an important role to play in anti-doping, including ensuring that any of their member NGBs were compliant with the policy, providing oversight and assurance of anti-doping education for athletes in major event teams, and recognising and supporting UKAD as the UK’s NADO.
A new section to cover these organisations and their roles and responsibilities has been added to the revised policy to reflect their important role in anti-doping.
Original consultation
Consultation description
The government has launched a consultation on the National Anti-Doping Policy.
The first National Anti-Doping Policy (‘Policy’) was published in 2009 to coincide with the creation of UK Anti-Doping (‘UKAD’). It seeks to satisfy the requirements of the UNESCO Convention against Doping in Sport and recognises the global framework of the World Anti-Doping Agency through the harmonisation of anti-doping rules set out in the World Anti-Doping Code.
Accordingly, the Policy sets out the roles and responsibilities for UKAD, the Sports Councils, Governing Bodies of sport and the National Anti-Doping Panel.
Since October 2017, the Government has published two anti-doping related reviews; i) a Tailored Review of UKAD ii) the Review of Criminalisation of Doping in Sport. The recommendations of both reviews are currently being implemented and this consultation does not seek to re-open those reviews or their outcomes.
A recommendation from the Tailored Review of UKAD tasked Government with revising the Policy and this consultation forms part of that revision.
The consultation will seek views on the effectiveness of the current Policy as well as canvass opinion on wider areas.
The outcomes from this consultation will assist in driving the Policy revision to protect the integrity of sport and ensure that sport in the UK, for participants and fans, continues to be conducted on a level playing field.
Sports organisations and governing bodies, athletes, sports stakeholders and members of the public are invited to submit their views over the next six weeks to help shape the next version of the Policy.
If you have any queries about this review, please contact DCMS at nadpconsultation@culture.gov.uk.
Documents
Updates to this page
Last updated 26 April 2021 + show all updates
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Added Formal Response to the National Anti-Doping Policy Consultation along with UK National Anti-Doping Policy (2021).
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First published.