Baroness VICKERSMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will state where the Paraplegic Olympic Games are being held this year.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, DEPARTMENT of the ENVIRONMENT (Lord Bellwin)My Lords, the 1980 Olympic Games for the Disabled, which includes the paraplegics, will be held at Arnhem in Holland.
Baroness VICKERSMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that reply, may I ask whether it is not the usual custom for the host country of the main Olympics to allow paraplegics to hold theirs in that country, and may we be told why that is not being done on this occasion? I realise that it did not 1206 happen in Mexico because the climate there is not very good for paraplegics. Can my noble friend say whether the Russians will he sending people to these games?
§ Lord BELLWINMy Lords, it has been the practice in the past that that is so, but my information is that the Russians were approached but showed no interest in staging these games on this occasion. Whether they will be participating I am not sure, but my information at present is that they will not be participating.