HC Deb 20 July 2001 vol 372 c750W
Pete Wishart

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total value of assistance provided by the Government to the(a) English FA bid for the 1996 European Championships, (b) UK bids for the Olympic games since 1997, (c) UK bids for the Commonwealth games since 1997, (d) English FA bid for the World Cup since 1997 and (e) Scottish FA bid for the 2008 European Championships is in (i) cash and (ii) real terms; and if she will make a statement. [6309]

Mr. Caborn

Financial assistance provided by the Government to these bids was as follows:

  1. (a) the English Football Association received no financial assistance from the Government in respect of its successful bid for the 1996 European Football Championships;
  2. (b) there have been no UK bids for the Olympic games since 1997;
  3. (c) the bidding process for the 2002 Commonwealth games closed in November 1995 with the award of the event to Manchester. There has been no financial support for the Manchester bid since 1997;
  4. (d) direct financial assistance from the Government to the English Football Association's bid for the 2006 World Cup consisted of £20,000 in respect of the travelling expenses of the Prime Minister's Special Envoy. My Department paid certain other travelling expenses in respect of the bid, and these items were fully reimbursed by the Football Association,
  5. (e) the Scottish Football Association has yet to decide whether to make a formal bid for the 2008 European Championships. UK Sport has contributed £5,000 from grant in aid funding to the cost of a feasibility study. No other Government assistance has been provided to date. Should a bid be made, funding to assist with the bidding process will be a matter for Scottish Ministers to determine.

Administrative costs were incurred by the Department of National Heritage, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and by other Departments involved in providing non-financial support for the English Football Association's bids for the 1996 European Football Championships before 1996, and the 2006 World Cup between 1997 and 2000. These cannot be quantified.