Olympic Bid (Hansard, 16 July 2003)

§ Mr. Wood
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the potential impact of hosting the Olympic Games on(a) the development of and (b) investment in grass roots sport in the UK. [124621]

§ Tessa Jowell
My Department has assessed the legacy of the Olympic Games for the development of, and investment in Grassroots sport using historical data, visits by Ministers to previous and future Olympic Cities, the joint DCMS and Strategy Unit report (Game Plan) and the details contained in the Arup report. Details of this analysis can be found in Annex 3, Evidence 51 to the Culture Select Committee report on A London Bid Olympic Bid for 2012, published on 23 January 2003.

§ Mr. Sheerman
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the environmental costs and benefits of the London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. [123953]

§ Tessa Jowell
The Arup report provided an initial evaluation, for a specimen Olympic Games, of the 18 themes of the IOC bid criteria required for the Candidature File. The 18 themes covered within the bid criteria include Environmental Protection and Meteorology. It will be for the Bid Company to ensure that the Candidature File, which must be submitted to the IOC in November 2004, properly addresses the environmental costs and benefits of a London bid.

§ Mr. Sheerman
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what systems will be put in place by the Government to ensure that environmental considerations are fully incorporated into the design of the London bid for the Olympic Games. [123954]

§ Tessa Jowell
The Bid Company for the London 2012 bid will be responsible for the delivery of a high quality and competitive bid. This includes the preparation of the key bidding documents, the Applicant Questionnaire in the first stage of bidding and the Candidature file required in the second phase of the bid process. Both stages of the Bidding procedure should demonstrate how the London bid will reflect the commitment of the Olympic Movement to sustainable development and endeavours to contribute to the protection of the natural environment. In discharging this responsibility we would expect the Bid Company to consult the relevant stakeholder interests.
As one of the key stakeholders for the bid the Government will be required to sign-off both the Applicant Questionnaire and the Candidature file prior to submission to the IOC.