World Athletics Championships (Hansard, 21 November 2001)

§ Mr. Yeo
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Minister in her Department has Ministerial responsibility for the hosting of the 2005 World Athletics Championships. [16650]

§ Tessa Jowell
As Secretary of State, I have overall responsibility for the hosting of the 2005 World Athletics Championships and I am supported in this by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport.

§ Mr. Yeo
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what venues were considered by her Department as possible venues for the hosting of the 2005 World Athletics Championships after the decision was taken not to host the games at Lee Valley; [16653]
(2) on what date the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn), was removed from decision-making regarding the staging of the 2005 World Athletics Championships; and if she will make a statement on the nature of that removal; [16649]
(3) on what date Sheffield became a potential contender for hosting the 2005 World Athletics Championships. [16648]

§ Tessa Jowell
Patrick Carter's report on the Lee Valley Stadium project identified the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield and the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Manchester as the two most promising alternative venues for hosting the 2005 World Athletics Championships.
When I received and read Patrick Carter's report I issued an instruction that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport should not see the report and any associated papers in view of the fact that Patrick Carter discussed Sheffield as a possible alternative venue and my right hon. Friend's possible constituency interest. I agreed with my right hon. Friend that once a decision had been made on the future of the Lee Valley project or, if the decision was not to proceed, a decision had been taken on an alternative venue for the World Athletics Championships, that he would be brought into the discussions and papers would be circulated to him in the normal way. An instruction to this effect was issued in accordance with the Ministerial code on 3 September.
An evaluation of the Sheffield and Manchester options was carried out by Sport England and my officials following my meeting with Trevor Brooking, Chairman of Sport England, on 24 September to discuss the Lee Valley project and Patrick Carter's report.