To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department holds responsibility for the final decision on the level of contingency to be included in the revised Olympic budget once it is agreed. (105568)

The final decision on the level of contingency to be included in the revised Olympic budget is a matter for the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 809W, on the London Olympics, how much her Department (a) spent in 2005-06 and (b) expects to spend in 2006-07 on the salaries of the eight individuals working on the 2012 Olympics who do not fall into the Department’s pay band structure. (105594)

Of the eight agency employees referred to in my answer of 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 809W, on the London Olympics, three were employed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport during 2005-06. One of these was paid £2,000. The other two were legal advisers (civil servants) on loan from the Treasury Solicitor’s Department paid within the following bands.

In 2006-07 the three agency employees including the two legal advisers continued to work on the Olympics for DCMS. Excluding the two legal advisers the cost of the remaining six agency employees is expected to be around £650,000 in 2006-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2006, Official Report, column 99W, on 2012 Olympics, what estimates KPMG gave as part of its advice for the costs of (a) the Olympic Stadium, (b) other sports facilities, (c) the Olympic village, (d) press and media facilities, (e) Games work force, (f) information systems, (g) telecommunications and other technologies, (h) internet, (i) ceremonies and culture, (j) medical services, (k) catering, (l) transport, (m) security, (n) the Paralympic Games, (o) advertising and promotion, (p) administration, (q) pre-Olympic events and co-ordination, (r) other miscellaneous costs and (s) contingency. (108021)

I refer the hon. Member to my statement on costs to the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport on 21 November 2006 [Q30].

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Government Department or agency holds overall responsibility for meeting cost overruns in the delivery of the 2012 Olympics. (108540)

My Department is responsible for co-ordinating the funding arrangements but the issue of how cost increases are to be funded is one for the Government as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether Ministers in her Department have met the new owners of West Ham United to discuss the post-games use of the Olympic Stadium; and if she will make a statement. (104688)

[holding answer 5 December 2006]: I met Eggert Magnusson, the new chairman of West Ham, on 29 November to discuss the post-Games use of the Olympic Stadium. The meeting was also attended by Ken Livingstone, Sir Roy McNulty, acting chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), David Higgins, chief executive of the ODA and Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

During the discussion, I underlined our commitment to the International Olympic Committee that the Olympic Stadium would have an athletics legacy, and that football would have to work alongside this. I also stressed that the timetable for decisions was very tight, with the final decision to be taken by the Olympic Board early in the new year.

It was agreed that West Ham would reflect on the discussion and decide how it wished to proceed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provision her Department made for a contingency reserve for the Olympic Games within the figures specified in London's 2012 Candidate File for (a) the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and (b) Sports Facilities and the International Press Centre. (102862)

Details of the contingency for (a) the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games are shown at table 6.6.1 on page 103 of the Candidate File. For each of the main venue construction projects, including sports facilities and the international press centre, there is an allowance in the bid figures for 23.5 per cent. for contingencies and preliminaries.