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Wednesday, 26 October 2005 |
London taxpayers warned about Olympics costs
London council taxpayers have been warned that there is no limit on the
amount they may be expected to pay if costs for staging the 2012
Olympics are going to overrun.
However, 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 taxpayers are expected to pay about £20 a year for 10 years to meet the cost of staging the Olympics.
Tessa Jowell said there would be a "daily vigilance on monitoring the costs".
"What I cannot say is that there will be any guarantee there will be a cap," she added.
Tessa 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 taxpayer, the London Development Agency and the Lottery are
all contributing to the public sector funding for the Games.
A spokesman for the department of culture, media and sport insisted
they were "optimistic" the Games would be within their budget.
However, if spending went over budget, the government and the mayor of London would meet the extra costs, the spokesman added.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 26 October 2005 )
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