(2) if she will make an assessment of the potential for further delays to the (a) construction of the North Olympic site and (b) landscaping deadlines for growing the plants required for the Olympic site;
(3) what recent representations she has received from the landscaping and horticultural firms contracted to provide services on the Olympic site on the effects on them of changes in the timetable for construction of the Olympic site;
(4) what assessment she has made of the likely effects on horticultural companies providing plants for the (a) North Olympic and (b) Olympic site of delays to construction at the Olympic site.
The overall construction programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games continues on track, with no delay in the construction of the Olympic Park or in the construction of the parklands in the North of the Park.
The delivery contractor, Bam Nuttall, is currently procuring a number of specialist subcontractors and suppliers through a series of packages and is on track to start delivery of the Northern parklands later this spring. The contracts for the hard and soft landscaping of the South Park are due for award later in 2009, with on-site work to start in early 2010. These are in line with planned dates for such contracts to be let.
Further to those packages already at an advanced stage of procurement, there will be many more opportunities for landscaping and horticultural suppliers registered on the London 2012 CompeteFor website in areas, including the supply of thousands of younger woodland trees, shrubs and other plants scheduled for planting nearer games-time.
In consultation with landscaping industry expertise (including the British Association of Landscape Industries, the Horticultural Trades Association, Greening the Games—an industry-wide lobby group—as well as expert industry contractors and suppliers) the Olympic Delivery Authority has given careful consideration to the number of growing seasons available for the plant stock proposed across the park and is confident that there is sufficient time to ensure an excellent games-time park.