HC Deb 18 January 2000 vol 342 cc384-5W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assessment he has made of the offer to adapt the City of Manchester Stadium to accommodate the British National Athletics Stadium; and if he will make a statement; [105550]

(2) when he intends to announce his decision on the location for a British National Athletics Stadium; and if he will make a statement; [105501]

(3) if he will make a statement on his plans for a British national athletics stadium. [105502]

Kate Hoey

Following the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 20 December 1999, Sport England has, together with UK Sport, UK Athletics, the British Olympic Association (BOA) and my Department undertaken further work on the non-Wembley options for staging international athletics events. Sport England is taking forward further work to establish the viability of possible alternative venues although the final decision on timing and location of bids for the 2005 World Athletics Championship and a UK Olympic bid, rests with UK Athletics and the BOA respectively, Although a final decision has yet to be made and no options have been ruled out, both UK Athletics and the BOA consider that the strongest option for a successful bid would be to base it in London. The BOA is therefore conducting a feasibility study of a possible future London-based Olympic bid, which they will submit to Government in the next few months.

Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action his Department has taken to identify potential sites for a national athletics stadium. [105346]

Kate Hoey

Following the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, Sport England has, together with UK Sport, UK Athletics, the BOA and my Department undertaken further work on the non-Wembley options for staging international athletics events.

Sport England is taking forward further work to establish the viability of possible venues for the World Athletics Championships in 2005 and further details will be announced once this work has been completed. Sport England will also be assessing, with the BOA, the extent to which possible venues can be readily upgraded to accommodate Olympic requirements.