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Campaigners today demanded "full transparency" on Olympic finances after it was claimed that the budget for the 2012 Games has risen to £12billion.
"Hidden" spending on 2012-related projects across a range of public bodies show the burden to the taxpayer is almost £3billion beyond the Government's central £9.3billion budget.
Extra spending comes from a range of Whitehall departments, the London Development Agency and transport bodies. It includes £1.15billion spent by the LDA buying up the 600-hectare Olympic site and a further £389million spent by the agency on interest payments and Olympic grants.
"Games-specific" rail and Tube upgrades have accounted for a extra £389million spent by Transport for London and Network Rail.
Mark Wallace, campaign director of the Taxpayers Alliance, said: "Everyone wants to remember 2012 as a celebration of sport and not of financial excess."
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesman said: "We were always clear that there would be additional spending by other public bodies."
The new total was calculated using figures from 50 public bodies under the Freedom of Information Act.
Reader views (9)
never read so many pointless comments. Stop moaning and get on and support it - then we have a chance of making a success of it. I cant wait for 2012.
- Dave, London
Out of this £12 billion consultant and quangofest there should never have been that £50 million shortfall for the sportsmen and women themselves: Tessa Jowell should be utterly ashamed that would-be Olympic participants have been cheated of the funding they needed whilst bodies like KPMG, the Olympic Delivery Authority, LOCOG and all the other pen-pushers basically rob the athletes.
I wonder how Lord Sebastian Coe would have felt if any funding he needed, when he was actually competing, had been withdrawn to give somebody their bonus payments, because that is what is happening now. He has accepted a large pay rise whilst the Olympic sports still haven't been given enough.
- Sally, Ipswich
This is money that would have been spent and would have needed to been spent regardless of the Olympics. For instance, you mention that £1.15b was spent by the LDA for buying the site, but you've not mentioned that the costs includes decomtaminating - which would have needed to have been done, otherwise the land would have remained a contiminated and derelict eyesore. Transport links needed to be improved and would have been needed to ensourage growth and investment in the area, look at the Westfield which is now looking to expand. At the end of the day, this is making up for years of neglect, if money was spent and invested in the area in the first then there may be an arguement about what is needing to be spent now.
- Robb, London
£9.3bn at the beginning of the year. Now £12bn.
That'll be about £20bn by 2012, as I predicted some time ago.
Don't worry. Myself and selected taxpayers will break off from forking out billions to busted banks and save the Olympics too.
ID cards? No problem, here's £10bn. Climate Change? Go on, take a few billion, we've got loads. Can you spare £20bn for Crossrail? Of course, and get a cup of tea while you're at it.
When is this government going to stop writing cheques that can't be cashed?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
Sod the olympics.
- Steve, Brentford
What a surprise - we simply can not afford this. We, the voters and tax payers were misled right from the begining.
- Very Angry At Mp'S Expenses, Home Counties
£12 billion for the Olympics, isnt too bad, if they need any more i hear RBS has plenty.
- Mr S.Port, London
Joe Public knows full well they will be lumbered with a bill of at least £20,000,000,000.00 for the 2012 fiasco.
HOW can a Third World banana republic bankrupt Police State afford to waste £20,000,000,000.00 - which the children of today and their children will still be repaying in the year 2050?
- Reuben Camara, Plot 1, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
Watch out Great Britain Ltd for a total at the close of the games of £25 Billion plus - you have been warned.
What forsight, the warnings too -- by Lord Corbett (and he is Chair of Government Peers) in his written questions and speaches in the last year!!!
On 14 July Lord Corbett of Castle Vale asked Her Majesty's Government whether they will request the Audit Commission to investigate all decisions made and evidence submitted by the Olympic Delivery Authority to the Olympic Board and London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and all the decisions made by LOCOG at its board meeting held on 19 March regarding temporary venues and other relevant matters. [HL4786]
The Minister Lord Davies of Oldham replied: There are no plans for any investigation into either the decisions made or evidence submitted to the Olympic Board on 19 March.
The decisions made by the board regarding temporary venues and other matters were based on sound and robust information and follow transparent joint working between the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in assessing all the available options ............
OH SO IS THIS A COVER IT UP MINISTER AND GOVERNMENT Which allows David Higgins his own choice of Gleeds Auditors to investigate the ODA decisions and not publish the 'in house' CLM reports costing £200 Million this year.
- Clare, cardiff
