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There is absolutely no more government cash for Games, says Jowell
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor19.08.08
London's 2012 Olympics will not get a penny more from the Government, Tessa Jowell warned today.
The Olympics minister told the BBC that the £9.3 billion budget would not be increased and that if any extra cash was needed, it would have to be cut from other parts of the games.
Boris Johnson has backed Ms Jowell's tough line, claiming that "sensible savings"-can be found. But the Mayor also insisted that the London Olympics would not turn into an "austerity games".
The National Audit Office has warned that spending on the Games may rise further, from an original figure of £4 billion, because of uncertainty over the costs of security and unsigned construction contracts. But Ms Jowell told the BBC: "Within the overall ceiling of £9.325 billion there's no more money."
Asked if she was confident the project could be completed within budget, she added: "The budget cannot be exceeded because there is no more money.
"I don't think anybody on the London Olympic team is remotely intimidated by what the Chinese have done. Wonderful though it is we are going to put on something just as fine.
"If we have to find more money for a particular aspect of the programme, then savings will have to be made."
Mr Johnson added: "We will come in on budget and we will not waste taxpayers' money."
Further London 2012 funding worriesemerged today when ex-prime minister Sir John Major warned future British Olympic success would be jeopardised if Lottery funding for grassroots sport was cut.
Sir John, who introduced National Lottery funding for athletes, said organisations such as Sport England were being forced to make budget cuts as Lottery money is diverted to other projects.
Reader views (3)
Well - every other publicly funded organisation has to make efficiency savings so why not UK Sport? If they are so commercially inept as to be unable to raise the funding themselves after 2 years - it seems to me that some dead wood needs to leave the organisation. Then there's the wasted money spent on athletes like Frankie Gavin, oh! and what about the projects UK Sport have poured money into that have come to nothing?
I also wonder about all this bureaucracy now in the sporting system - get rid of it, give the funding to the sports and let them employ their own people. Yes I agree that improved training facilities and venues needed to be funded - but lets face it, its jobs for the boys most of the time. So UK Sport get your own house in order first, and stop scrounging off the public tax payer.
- John Morgan, London
Did these people not learn anything from the Wembley stadium fiasco? No doubt they will take the money from the Lottery fund and the charities that rely on that money will suffer again! I have an idea why not put the price of fuel up and use the extra income to pay for any shortfall in total cost! ha ha
- Peter Killick, Hartlepool United Kingdom
I have some instant savings in Olympics expenditure for the Minister and the Mayor. In the context of Andrew Gilligan’s article (18/8/08 Greenwich Park & a lesson from China), and other recent ones and comments from readers - which all reflect a very significant groundswell of opinion from local residents and others against using Greenwich Park for the Equestrian Cross Country event - move it to Windsor, Burghley or some other ready made arena.
Some £13m are budgeted for facilities in Greenwich Park, not a penny of which will be retained for the much-trumpeted Olympic legacy. To paraphrase a previous correspondent, a simple cost benefit analysis – surely essential now that money’s getting tight – would show that Greenwich would be the worst alternative in every respect.
Save some money and leave Greenwich Park alone.
- John Bettelley, Blackheath, London
