§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
What recent consideration they have given to helping the City of Manchester to close any funding gap in relation to staging the Commonwealth Games in 2002; and what discussions Ministers have had about this with civic leaders. [HL847]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyManchester 2002 Limited has not yet finalised a budget for the staging of the Commonwealth Games. The sports programme is still under review and this decision will have considerable impact on costs, ranging from what facilities will need to be built to how many athletes can be expected. Also yet to be concluded is any agreement over broadcasting rights. These rights are expected to generate a large proportion of the Games' revenue, allied with sponsorship which has yet to be put in place. Once Manchester 2002 Limited has these matters in place, it will be in a clearer position in relation to any funding surplus or gap.
My honourable friend the Minister for Sport takes a close interest in the Commonwealth Games and last met Manchester City Council in September. He also meets regularly with the Commonwealth Games Federation both formally and informally; the last formal meeting was 23 November. He will be meeting stakeholders in the Commonwealth Games, including the City Council, on 3 March in Manchester. Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have observer 49WA status on both the Manchester 2002 Limited board and on the Review Commission, an auditing body under the chairmanship of Sir Rodney Walker.