§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when he expects to receive the full accounts of the FA (FIFA) World Cup 2006 bid for(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98 and (c) 1998–99 from the FA; and if he will make a statement; [104167]
(2) if there is an upper limit on the amount of money Sport England has contributed and will contribute to the FA (FIFA) World Cup 2006 bid; [104166]
(3) when he expects to publish the accounts of the Government's contribution to the FA (FIFA) World Cup 2006 bid. [104168]
§ Kate Hoey[holding answer 10 January 2000]: The bid to host the World Cup in 2006 is a bid by the Football Association, with the full backing of the Government and Sport England, who have allocated £3 million of Lottery funding for the bid. It is not a Lottery condition to require published accounts. However, Sport England monitors how the Lottery grant is spent.
The remainder of the estimated £9 million which the bid will cost is being provided by the FA, the FA Premier League and by commercial sponsors. Reference to the bid is made in the FA' s 1998 general annual report and accounts, but any decision to publish detailed accounts for the 2006 bid is for the FA to make.