Olympic Games: Greater London 2012

Mr. Hoban
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the brain-storming session scheduled by KPMG, referred to in note 3 of the minutes of the Olympic cost review steering group of 28 November 2005.

Tessa Jowell
I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 15 March 2007, Official Report, column 450, in which I provided full details of the budget for the Olympic Delivery Authority and a number of issues including wider security, tax and contingency provision.

The specific advice relating to the brainstorming session remains pertinent to the formulation of government policy, and I cannot therefore place the minutes in the Library of the House.

Mr. Hoban
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the assessment of total costs made by KPMG, referred to in note 2 of the minutes of the Olympic cost review steering group of 28 November 2005.

Tessa Jowell
I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to him on 18 December 2006, Official Report, column 1588W, and to that of 14 May 2007, Official Report, column 533W. In addition I gave Parliament a full explanation of the Olympic costs and funding in my statement of 15 March 2007, Official Report, column 450. KPMG’s role was changed to one of providing ongoing advice on Olympic costs, and the report referred to in note 2 of the minutes of the Olympic cost steering group was therefore not produced.

Mr. Hoban
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when and for what reason KPMG was commissioned to provide ongoing advice on the cost of the Olympic Games in 2012; when the final report on the cost of the Olympics commissioned from KPMG for delivery by the end of November 2005 was provided to her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell
I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to him on 18 December 2006, Official Report, column 1588W, and to that of 14 May 2007, Official Report, column 533W.

KPMG were commissioned in October 2005 in order to provide advice to inform the development of cost plans and budgets for the Games. No report was produced, as KPMG’s role was changed at the time to one of providing ongoing advice to the Department, as part of the more detailed cost review that we were undertaking.

Mr. Hoban
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) reports, (b) other documents and (c) electronic presentations KPMG has produced for her Department in connection with that company’s role in providing advice on the Olympics cost review; and on what date each was (i) submitted or presented and (ii) produced.

Tessa Jowell
I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 15 March 2007, Official Report, column 450, in which I provided full details of the budget for the Olympic Delivery Authority and a number of issues including wider security, tax and contingency provision. This was informed by the thorough cost review I instituted after the bid win, for which KPMG provided advice on an ongoing basis. KPMG's advice will also inform the development of the Olympic Delivery Authority’s Corporate Plan, which is due to be published later this year.

Advice provided by KPMG on the cost of the Olympic Games is being used on an ongoing basis in the management of the Olympic budget. This is pertinent to and informs the current formulation of government policy, and cannot therefore be provided.

Mr. Dai Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the land acquired for the Olympics 2012 Park has been decontaminated in situ; where the contaminated soils unsuitable for in situ treatment have been removed to; what quantities of contaminated soils have been removed; and whether the removal of Japanese knotweed from the site has been completed.

Mr. Caborn
Site investigation work on the Olympic Park has been focusing on the level of contamination and the required treatment. Initial on-site decontamination work will commence in late July 2007.

Treatment of Japanese knotweed has commenced and the range of treatments will take approximately three years to complete.

Mr. Dai Davies
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will hold a London 2012: Your Games, Your Say question and answer session in Wales.

Mr. Caborn
In partnership with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), we have committed to conducting regular public meetings to give local people across the United Kingdom the opportunity to question those responsible for delivering the games about all aspects of preparations for 2012. I will be talking to Welsh Assembly Ministers about holding such an event in Wales.

Additionally, Lord Coe, as the Chairman of the London Organising Committee, visited Wales on 8 June and met with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and spoke at the Welsh Local Government Association conference. This is part of regular engagement through the Nations and Regions Group.