Sports minister ditches Jowell Olympic plan - News - Evening Standard
       

Sports minister ditches Jowell Olympic plan

The row over a legacy for the London Olympics will intensify as the Government performs a U-turn on which sports it is prepared to fund until 2012.

Culture Secretary James Purnell will tell a conference in Telford today that he wants funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to emphasise competitive sport.

This will come as a blow to Sport England which will be responsible for implementing Mr Purnell's proposals only 14 months after working on his predecessor Tessa Jowell's idea of providing funding for walking and aerobics. Chairman Derek Mapp is thought to be considering his position.

Mr Purnell feels getting people to use stairs rather than the lift should not be funded by his department.

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