To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that the preparations for the 2012 Olympics are efficient and well-managed. (111406)

The Olympic Board, which I co-chair, provides strong and effective governance and oversight of preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It meets regularly to review progress across the programme.

After London won the right to host the games in July 2005, I initiated a thorough and ongoing review of costs on which I reported to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 21 November 2006. This work is continuing.

Furthermore, to ensure that costs are kept under rigorous scrutiny and review and that the timescales of the programme are met, the Olympic Delivery Authority, which is responsible for delivering the infrastructure and venues for the Games, has appointed a delivery partner—CLM—to manage the procurement and delivery of the facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 103W, on Olympics 2012, if she will provide the indicative figures for the amounts set aside to cover (a) construction inflation and (b) additional security costs. (118415)

[holding answer 2 February 2007]: I have nothing to add to my answer of 29 January 2007. To release further cost information on each of the individual elements of the £900 million increase that I announced to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee could prejudice the commercial negotiations that the Olympic Delivery Authority are currently undertaking with private developers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the PMP report into the legacy of 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues. (118364)

The Olympic Delivery Authority have employed PMP to identify options for the legacy use of the Olympic stadium. This work is ongoing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will introduce a statutory limit on the maximum liability of London council tax payers for the cost of the 2012 Olympics. (119567)

The use of London council tax to support expenditure on the Olympic Games is a matter for the Mayor of London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what her estimate is of the proportion of any cost overruns that will be borne by the London council taxpayer in the event of the costs of the Olympics exceeding the revenues; (119568)

The 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London provides for cost overruns to be met in a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate between them. The memorandum makes no presumptions about the use of council tax, which is a matter for the Mayor and he has made his position on this clear.

We are currently exploring a range of options and will report to Parliament when a resolution has been reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the Cultural Olympiad budget will be spent on the opening and closing ceremonies. (119616)

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is working with key stakeholders including my Department to stage a number of inspiring ceremonies. These include the handover ceremony at the Beijing Games, the opening and closing ceremonies, the welcoming of the athletes to the Olympic Village, the medal ceremonies, the Torch Relay, and the Olympic Youth Camps.

In addition, the Cultural Olympiad will be delivered and funded in partnership with a range of public and private partners.

The London 2012 Organising Committee is currently finalising the budgets for each of these important elements of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It is working within the overall framework set out in the candidate file and is confident that it sits within its £2 billion revenue budget.