Warning over cost of 2012 Games

[Rob W 0]

Warning over cost of 2012 Games

 

London council tax payers have been warned there is no limit on the amount they may be expected to pay if the cost of staging the 2012 Olympics overruns. But Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell told the culture, media and sport select committee that the costs for the Games had been planned with extreme "rigour".

 

Band D council tax payers are expected to pay about £20 a year for 10 years to meet the cost of staging the Olympics. There would be a "daily vigilance on monitoring the costs", she said. "What I cannot say is that there will be any guarantee there will be a cap," she added.

 

'Containing costs'

 

Ms Jowell said they would be "taking all reasonable steps available to contain these costs to the figures submitted in the candidate file". Liberal Democrat London Assembly Olympics spokeswoman Dee Doocey said the announcement, so soon after winning the chance to host the Games, was "deeply concerning". "It would be almost understandable if we were two or three years down the line..., but coming so soon after winning simply beggars belief.

 

"Why are ministers now sounding so pessimistic about whether the Games will be delivered on time and on budget? Londoners deserve an answer since they are set to bear a lot of the costs."

 

The council tax payer, the London Development Agency and the Lottery are contributing the public sector funding for the Games.

[Guest Sima]

It's going to be a huge waste of money but who cares? It doesn't come out of our pockets

[Brock Manson 0]

It's going to be a huge waste of money but who cares?  It doesn't come out of our pockets

49358[/snapback]

 

Well..it does doesn't it?

[Rob W 0]

I wouldn't have minded if a tenth of the money that will go to PR companies, construction firms etc etc was spent on British sporting facillities and training for the 2012 Games in PARIS