House of Commons - Foreign Affairs

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Minutes of Evidence

OLYMPIC GAMES

Letter to the Parliamentary Relations and Devolution Team, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from the Clerk of the Committee, 1 December 2004

The Committee has noted a recent report in the Independent on Sunday in which it is suggested that the involvement of British Embassies and High Commissions in support of London's bid to stage the Olympic Games may be inconsistent with the IOC's rules.

I would be grateful to receive, by 20 December, a note on what activities Posts have been, or propose to be engaged in, in support of the Olympic bid; and on what steps have been taken to ensure that all such activity is fully consistent with the relevant rules of the International Olympic Committee.

Steve Priestley

Clerk of the Committee

1 December 2004

Letter to the Clerk of the Committee from the Parliamentary Relations and Devolution Team, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 8 December 2004

In your letter of 1 December you asked for a note about the activities of our overseas Posts in relation to the London 2012 Olympic bid.

The issue you raise is in fact covered by documents placed in the Library of the House, in support of an answer given by Baroness Symons on 17 November to a question from the Lord Moynihan. A copy of the question/answer, and supporting documents, are enclosed for ease of reference. It is Annex A that gives guidance on what can and cannot be done around the bid to ensure we do not contravene IOC regulations.

I should also like to draw your attention to a letter from Mr Bill Rammell to the Independent on Sunday, which is relevant to this issue. A copy of this is also enclosed.

Chris Stanton

Parliamentary Relations & Devolution Team

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

8 December 2004

Annex 1

Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which UK sport and recreation programmes and initiatives the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have promoted through their diplomatic missions abroad since the year 2000; and whether they will place in the Library of the House any briefing notes available for distribution through United Kingdom Embassies on the London 2012 Olympic Bid.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has supported the following sporting projects and initiatives through its missions abroad since 2001:

Title of project Amount Post

2001

Football equipment for disadvantaged young people £3,175 Abidjan

Cricket in Suva £3,000 Suva

Athletics coaching in Grenada £2,285 St George's

The High Commissioners rugby sevens £ 800 Kampala

Football coaching in Grenada £2,635 St George's

Sponsorship of FA Cup Final on Ivorian TV £ 100 Abidjan

Sports Medicine Specialist £6,000 Honiara

Great North Run in Ethiopia £5,000 Addis Ababa

British books for coaching resource centre £ 550 Valetta

Cricket equipment for Ivorian Schools £1,643 Abidjan

2002

Rugby Workshop £2,000 Montevideo

Youth football training £2,500 Doha

Botswana athletics training £1,716 Gaborone

KAYEC youth cricket £5,310 Windhoek

Snooker in Cambodia £3,500 Phnom Penh

Great Ethiopian Run £5,000 Addis Ababa

Boxing in Suva £4,416 Suva

Football project, Cuba £1,000 Havana

Baseball Project, Cuba £1,248 Havana

Rugby development in St Vincent £5,000 Kingstown

2003

Great Ethiopian Run £10,000 Addis Ababa

Promoting Cricket in Belize £8,000 Belmopan

Inclusion through Sport Seminar and British Finnish Youth

Web Forum £5,000 Helsinki

UK/Caribbean Sporting Partnerships £150,000 Caribbean

Football in the Community £7,310 Prague

Zimbabwe Goals for Fun £3,000 Harare

2004

Football United Iraq £250,000 Baghdad

Moscow Inclusion Through Sport £55,240 Moscow

International Football Task Force for Afghanistan £39,000 Kabul

Don't Mention the Score—Building British/German Links

through Sport £22,500 Berlin

The FCO created a dedicated sports budget in 2001, subsequently subsumed into its public diplomacy challenge fund. No central records of FCO-sponsored sporting projects are held for the period before 2001. In addition, missions overseas may have funded further projects since 2001 for which records are also not held centrally; obtaining details of these would incur disproportionate cost.

UK missions have not yet distributed any London 2012 briefing notes overseas, since this would be in contravention of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules on promotion outside the territory of the bidding city. These rules have restricted what we can do before the IOC accepts London's candidature file. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the FCO (Bill Rammell) will now be co-ordinating the lobbying efforts of FCO missions overseas as well as other existing FCO support to the London bid. Posts have already received briefing on what activities they may undertake when the overseas promotion rules are relaxed and I will arrange for a copy of this to be placed in the Library of the House.

Annex 2

From the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

27 September 2004

Dear Ambassador,

PROMOTING THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC BID

As you may be aware, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will permit "international promotion" of the bids, once each city has submitted its candidature file. To help you take full advantage of this relaxation in the rules, I attach a number of papers that will be of use to you in determining your local strategy.

As a first step, you should be clear about what the IOC rules are and how they will affect what you are able to do. Contrary to initial interpretations, the IOC has recently announced that international promotion of the bid will only be permitted once the IOC has accepted London's candidature file—this is expected to be on the 19 November. The other key point to note is that whilst international promotion is permitted, the IOC have made it clear that representatives of bidding cities are still banned from meeting IOC members to specifically discuss the bid. To avoid any potential embarrassment, we have consulted with DCMS, London 2012 and British Olympic Association lawyers to clarify what Posts are permitted to do under the IOC rules of conduct. A paper outlining the agreed interpretation is attached (at annex A). Should you have any particular queries or concerns over planned activities, please contact David Muir in PDPD for clarification.

Even within these constraints, there is still much that you can do to support the bid. To give a flavour of what kind of activity could be undertaken, I attach a paper prepared by PDPD for your consideration (at annex B). With this increase in London 2012 work, I would also ask that you appoint a dedicated representative to act as the primary desk contact with PDPD on day to day London 2012 business and to develop a plan of related activity between November and July. Once finalised I would be grateful if you would forward your agreed plan to David.Muir@fco.gov.uk, by 28 October, so that we can build up a picture of what activities are being planned.

When developing your plans, you should consider London 2012's target audience. They assess that your primary audience will be the 118 IOC members, list attached (at Annex C), who are eligible to cast a vote at the 117th Session in Singapore. These members will ultimately determine which city will win the right to host the Games through a series of secret ballots. Secondary targets include sports influencers, such as members of National Olympic Councils and International Sporting Federations, and in some cases Government officials, who you consider have influence with IOC members. We also need to focus activities on the general public. Whilst the general public do not have a direct influence over voting intentions, we still need to use our PPAO network to develop a general public awareness campaign. A groundswell of public opinion may indirectly influence IOC members, and we need to demonstrate that the bid has full backing of the Government.

To help you in achieving this objective, PDPD holds a small budget that you can bid to support the costs of 2012 related activity. However, we do look to Posts to primarily use events that are already planned and budgeted for to help promote the bid. As a general rule, funding (up to a maximum of £1,000 per Post) would be considered to help meet the costs associated with a function to which an IOC member would attend. Funds would not be available to cover costs associated with public awareness campaigns. If you require funding, please write a short note outlining the benefits of the event to andrew.scattergood@fco.gov.uk.

I also attach an updated one-page briefing note on the bid (annex D), along with a more detailed general background brief (annex B). London 2012 can also provide background briefing on the majority of IOC members should you be meeting with them. Please contact David.Muir@fco.gov.uk if you need any further information.

To summarise, I attach:

Annex A—IOC Rules.

Annex B—How you can help promote the bid.

Annex C—IOC members.

Annex D—One page briefing/lines to take.

Annex B—London 2012 Background Brief.

Once received from London 2012 we will also forward to you promotional material for your use.

For Madrid, Moscow, Paris and New York. We will shortly be sending specific guidance on what is required of you after further consultation with London 2012. In the meantime we would still welcome any reporting you can offer but you should not carry out any promotional activity.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the background information you have sent on IOC members and other bidding cities, and I look forward to working with you over the coming months.

Yours sincerely

Bill Rammell

[agreed by the Minister and signed in his absence by the Asst. Private Secretary]

Annex A

GUIDELINES FOR OVERSEAS CONTACT WITH IOC MEMBERS AND RELATED OLYMPIC PARTIES

As you will be aware, the IOC have placed strict rules on the international promotion of bids. By definition Government officials are classed as representatives of the bid and are thus bound by the Rules of Conduct. These rules will be relaxed after the Candidate File has been accepted on 19 November 2004. International promotion of the bid is then permitted. However, certain restrictions will remain in place regarding contact with IOC members.

CONTACT WITH IOC MEMBERS AND PROTOCOL FOR INVITATIONS

1. No contact should be made with any International Olympic Committee (IOC) member for the specific purpose of promoting the London 2012 Bid.

2. Any contact with IOC members should be made in the name of the initiating party not in the name of London 2012.

3. Invitations to receptions or events should not make any reference to London 2012.

4. IOC members may be invited to related sporting functions, such as a reception held to honour UK sport, sporting visits etc in their capacity as an IOC member (see also paragraph 9). Within the confines of normal conversation, it may be possible to discuss the bid.

5. Invitations may be extended to IOC members to attend QBPs and similar events in their general capacity as dignitaries and opinion leaders within their own countries. Within the confines of normal conversation, it may be possible to discuss the bid.

6. At any function or event attended by IOC members, there should be no display of London 2012 promotional material within the area to be used for entertainment.

7. Specific London 2012 material should not be sent to IOC members. However, they may be sent general material such as the proposed FCO publication on sport (to follow).

8. Where there are already established relationships with IOC members, these relationships should continue and should be actively pursued. However, regardless of the past relationship, compliance with paragraphs 1-7 above must be maintained throughout the bidding process.

RECEPTIONS/MEETINGS

9. Bidding cities should refrain from taking advantage of international events to specifically promote the bid. You should not organise London 2012 receptions or meetings around such events. However, in such cases it would be in order to host a reception in honour of visiting UK dignitaries provided that there was no overt promotion of the bid.

10. International Federation (IF) Presidents and General Secretaries (where applicable) and National Olympic Committee (NOC) Presidents and General Secretaries, Presidents and General Secretaries of other Olympic Associations (where applicable) respected sports journalists and local sports celebrities may be invited, without restriction, to events and functions.

11. In the course of general receptions to which IOC members do not attend, we can overtly promote the London 2012 bid. For example, we can have London 2012 promotional materials on show and make references to the bid in speeches. However, PDPD question the value of such events (see guidance).

12. Meetings can also be held with Government and other influential sports officials to discuss the bid. However, any such meeting is only worthwhile if the IOC member is in contact with these officials. Further briefing will follow from PDPD.

GIFTS AND BENEFITS

13. Under no circumstances should gifts be given to IOC members. Gifts, in this context, have been defined as anything of value.

14. No form of benefit should be provided to IOC members or related Olympic parties. If a situation occurs when an IOC member or related Olympic party is a potential recipient of some form of benefit as a result of general diplomatic activity, it is essential that PDPD are made aware so that the issue can be reviewed to ensure strict IOC ethics compliance.

COMMUNICATIONS AND DISPLAYS

15. Displays and visual aids (posters, video broadcasts) promoting London 2012 are permitted within the Mission. This material does not need to be taken down if an IOC member visits. However, please see paragraph 5 in connection with entertainment.

16. Information on London 2012 may be held and distributed in response to specific inquiries from interested individuals. Should you be approached by IOC members for information please contact PDPD who will liaise with London 2012. Similarly any approaches to Paris, New York, Moscow or Madrid by rival bid city organising committees should be referred to PDPD.

17. There is no restriction on the organised distribution of publicity materials and press releases. However, no distribution should be made to IOC members.

18. Linking of London 2012 website details and placement of London 2012 material to Post websites is permitted.

GENERAL

19. All comments should focus on the London 2012 Bid and its merits. Direct comparison with other Bids should not be made.

20. London 2012 respects each of the cities bidding for the Olympic Games. All cities are held in high regard. Under no circumstances should any negative comment be made about any host city or the nation the city represents.

Should you require clarification or expansion on any particular point please contact David.Muir@fco.gov.uk

Agreed: PDPD, London 2012, DCMS, BOA—September 2004

Annex B

LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC BID—HOW YOU CAN HELP PROMOTE THE BID

Posts are asked to nominate one dedicated representative to act as the primary desk contact with PDPD on London 2012 matters. This person should consider an appropriate London 2012 programme of activity and send it to PDPD by 28 October. One size will not fit all but listed below are a few ideas for consideration.

Activities with IOC members

1. There are still restrictions on meeting IOC members to promote the bid. (See Annex A for details.) However, the most important activity is still to get alongside your individual IOC members. We need to develop these relationships to their full potential, whilst not overloading the IOC member. I attach a quote from London 2012:

What we need from Posts is that they create a positive environment based on Govt commitment [to the bid], a love of sport and a commitment to the ideals of the Olympic Movement. They can talk about the bid in the general sense. One final point I would make is that this is a case where "less is more". We will get more out of a reception where an IOC member has an enjoyable evening that benefits him or her, than we will out of a heavy sell.

2. We therefore hope that you will invite IOC members to all large scale functions, consider them when compiling guest lists for more selected events, and consider whether you can meet them in the course of normal Embassy business. A vast number have outside interests (public roles, business interests) on which you can base invitations. PDPD can provide advice on this and details on an individual member, please let us know.

3. We ask that you give particular consideration to the international sporting events in, and Ministerial and other high profile visits to, your country. We believe Posts staging events around sporting occasions, where there is a UK presence, is an ideal way to promote UK sport and through it, the bid, to IOC members and other important sporting dignitaries. You may also consider inviting IOC members and sports representatives to any receptions that you are planning in honour of a Ministerial visit, and brief the Minister accordingly. You can also set up other events, such as a London themed reception, and invite IOC members amongst others. There are limited funds available in PDPD if you are planning to set up a lunch or a reception at which an IOC member will attend. There can be no London 2012 promotional material at such events.

4. Within the confines of normal conversation, you are free to raise the issue of the bid with IOC members. How long the discussion lasts depends on the interests of the individual IOC member. We do not see these meetings as detailed briefing exercises. They are opportunities to register the importance the Government attaches a bid. If the IOC member is interested in the bid, you are free to discuss it at length. If on the other hand, the IOC member does not want to discuss the bid, we are advised that they will make that very clear. If you are due to meet an IOC member, please contact PDPD who will be able to provide personality briefing, enabling you to pitch your conversation accordingly. PDPD would be grateful for a readout of any such meetings. Annex B

5. The FCO are currently producing a booklet outlining the merits of UK sport. We aim to publish it in December. It will be sent to Posts for distribution to the relevant IOC members and other sporting/Government bodies (see below).

6. We still need any additional background information you can gather on your IOC members, and any reports on London's bid from local media sources. If you are aware of any inward visits by your IOC member(s) please let PDPD know.

Activities with host Governments, Sports bodies etc

7. You are permitted to host a London 2012 reception as long as no IOC members attend, and it is not related to an international sporting event. However, considering the limited resources both centrally and at Posts we do not consider there would be merit in organising such events if they did not involve IOC members.

8. If you believe they can influence the IOC members, you should arrange meetings to discuss the bid with relevant Government officials and other sporting federations. We understand that some Posts are already aware of officials that have an influence over IOC members. In addition, a paper outlining London 2012's thoughts on this will be sent separately to relevant Posts. One idea is to use the forthcoming publication on the merits of UK sport as an opportunity to set up such a meeting.

9. Take advantage of Ministerial visits considering, at an early stage, whether there is any scope for calls on relevant officials. Invite Government officials and IOC members to Ministerial receptions, lunches etc. Please discuss this with PDPD.

10. When arranging inward visit programmes consider whether the visitor would benefit from a meeting with London 2012. This would be particularly relevant to visits by Sports Ministers or visits focusing on regeneration, environment, transport and infrastructure issues. Please discuss this with PDPD. We would also welcome details of any inward visits by high level dignitaries who are associated with the bid either through Government or relevant organisations.

11. Forward London 2012's campaign publication to these organisations.

General awareness campaign

12. This could include:

— Placing articles in local media through PPAO contacts.

— Increasing content on Post websites (we can provide articles). Link to London 2012 website (if not already done).

— Display of banners, posters and promotional items in public areas.

— Distribution of booklets and promotional items to relevant sporting organisations and Government offices.

13. We will also be forwarding to you under separate cover London 2012 promotional items. These will include "Leap for London" posters and postcards, London 2012 lapel pins/pens/car stickers, and copies of London 2012's most recent promotional booklet for distribution. On request, we can provide a short video (which can be shown on a loop) promoting London 2012 for use in reception areas.

London 2012

14. Notwithstanding diary commitments, arrange for Heads of Mission to meet with London 2012 officials when they visit. London 2012 may also have one-off requests for information that we need to respond to.

Briefing

15. Officials should draw upon the attached briefing (at Annexes D and E) when discussing the bid. As you will note, it now contains detailed facts and figures on all elements of the bid and should help you answer any query that is raised.

16. In addition, London 2012 can also provide tailored briefing on the majority of IOC members if you are due to meet with them. This will cover IOC member's specific interests and concerns. Please contact David.Muir@fco.gov.uk

PDPD—September 2004

Annex C

Country	IOC Members	Post

Algeria	Mustapha Larfaoui	Algiers
Argentina	Antonio Rodriquez	Buenos Airies
Australia	John D Coates	Canberra
	Phillip W Coles
	Richard K Gosper
	Susie O'Neill
Austria	Leo Wallner	Vienna
Barbados	Austin L Sealy	Bridgetown
Belgium	Jacques Rogge	Brussels
Brazil	Jean M F G Havelange	Brasilia
	Carlos A Nuzman
Bulgaria	Ivan Slakov	Sofia
Cameroon	Issa Hayatou	Yaounde
Canada	Richard W Pound	Ottawa
China	Zhenliang He	Beijing
	Zaiqing Yu
Columbia	Fidel Mendoza Carrasquilla	Bogota
Croatia	Antun Vrdoljak	Zagreb
Cuba	Reynaldo Gonzalez Lopez	Havana
Cyprus	Kikis N Lazarides	Nicosia
Czech Republic	Jan Zelezny	Prague
Denmark	Kai Holm	Copenhagen
Dominica	Rogue N Munoz Pena	Barbados
Egypt	Mounir Sabet	Cairo
	Rania Amr Elwani
Fiji	Robin E Mitchell	Suva
Finland	Peter Talberg	Helsinki
	Jari Kurri
France	Guy Drut	Paris
	Jean-Claude Killy
	Henri Serandour
Germany	Thomas Bach	Berlin
	Walther Troger
Greece	Nikos Filaretos	Athens
	Lambis V Nikolaou
Guatemala	Willi Kaltschmitt Lujan	Guatamala City
Guinea	Alpha I Diallo	Conakry
Hong Kong	Timothy TT Fok	CG Hong Kong/Beijing
Hungary	Tamas Ajan	Budapest
	Pal Scmitt
India	Randhir Singh	New Delhi
Iran	Seyed Mostafa Hashemi Taba	Tehran
Ireland	Patrick S J Hickey	Dublin
Israel	Alex Gilady	Tel Aviv
Italy	Franco Carraro	Rome
	Ottavio Cinquanta	Rome
	Manuela Di Centa
	Mario Pescante
Ivory Coast	Lassana Palenfo	Abidjan
Japan	Chiharu Igaya	Tokyo
	Shun-ichiro Okano
Kenya	Kipchoge Keino	Nairobi
Korea (South)	Un Yong Kim	Seoul
	Kun H Lee
	Yong S Park
Korea (North)	Ung Chang	Pyongyang
Kuwait	Ahamd Al-Fal-Sabah	Kuwait
Lebanon	Toni Khoury	Beirut
Liechtenstien	La Princesse Nora de Liechtenstien	Berne
Luxembourg	Le Grand Duc de Luxembourg	Luxembourg
Mauritius	Rampaul Ruhee	Port Louis
Mexico	Olegario Varquez Rana	Mexico City
	Mario Varquez Rana
Monaco	Prince Hereditaire Albert	Marseille
Mongolia	Shagdarjav Magvan	Ulaanbaatar
Morocco	Nawal EL Moutawakel	Rabat
	Micham El Guerrouj
Namibia	Frank Fredericks	Windhoek
Netherlands	Els Van Breda Vriesman	The Hague
	Anton J Geesnik
	Le Prince d'Orange
	Hein Verbruggen
New Zealand	Tennant E Wilson	Wellington
Nigeria	Henry E O Adefope	Abua
Norway	Gerhard Heiberg	Oslo
	Adne Sondral
Pakistan	Shadid Ali	Islamabad
Panama	Meliton Sanchez Rivas	Panama City
Peru	Ivan Dibos	Lima
Phillippines	Francisco J Elizalde	Manila
Poland	Irena Szewinska	Warsaw
Portugal	Fernando F L Bello	Lisbon
Puerto Rica	Richard L Carrion	Washington
Qatar	Tamin B H Al-Thani	Doha
Russia	Alexander Popov	Moscow
	Vitaly Smirnov
	Shamil Tarpischev
Saudi Arabia	Nawaf FF Abdulaziz	Riyadh
Senegal	Lamine Diack	Dakar
	Youssoupha Ndiaye
Singapore	Ser Ng	Singapore
South Africa	Sam Ramsamy	Pretoria
Spain	I'Infante Dona Pilar de Borbon	Madrid
	Juan A Sammaranch
Sweden	Gunilla Lindberg	Stockholm
	Arne Ljunqvist
	Pernilla Wiberg
Switzerland	Joseph Blatter	Berne
	Rene Fasel
	Marc Holder
	Gian-Franco Kasper
	Denis Oswald
Syria	Samih Moudallal	Damascus
Taiwan	Ching-Kuo Wu	Taipei
Thailand	Nat Indrapana	Bangkok
Togo	Anani Matthia	Accra
Tunisia	Mohamed Mzali	Tunis
Uganda	Francis W Nyangweso	Kampala
Ukraine	Valeriy Borzov	Kiev
	Sergey Bubka
United States	Robert Ctvrtlik	Washington
	Anita L Defrantz
	James L Easton
Uruguay	Jolio C Maglione	Montevideo
Yugoslavia	Borislav Stankovic	Belgrade
Zambia	Patrick S Chamunda	Lusaka

IOC Website—as at September 2004

Annex D

LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC BID

Objective

Officials should not overtly lobby IOC members for the London 2012 bid. But if the subject can be brought up in conversation, it would be appropriate to indicate the strength of support for the bid from the Government, and to highlight its merits. Negative comments on other bid cities, overt lobbying or gifts to JOC members are all completely prohibited.

Background

London is one of five cities, along with Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris, shortlisted by the IOC to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. The vote on Host City will be taken at the 117th IOC Session to be held in Singapore on 6 July 2005.

Key Messages

Government Support for bid:

Public Support:

Transport:

We can deliver:

Spread of venues:

Welcome:

Transform:

Security:

Passion:

PDPD/London 2012—September 2004

Annex E

LONDON'S 2012 BID: BACKGROUND BRIEF (FOR POSTS)

COMPETITOR CITIES AND TIMELINES

Following assessment of the questionnaires submitted on 15 January 2004, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on 18 May 2004 those cities that will go through to the next stage (Phase II). Those successful were London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris. These cities will now be required to complete a candidate file in time for submission to the IOC by 15 November 2004. The IOC Evaluation Commission will visit each candidate city during February and March 2005 with the election of Host City being taken at the IOC session in Singapore on 6 July 2005.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR LONDON BID

The bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in London enjoys the full support of the UK Government, and was announced on 15 May 2003, following agreement at a meeting of the full Cabinet.

The Government's announcement to back the London 2012 bid followed a thorough analysis with the key stakeholders, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the British Olympic Association (BOA), of the costs, risks and benefits of bidding for and staging the Games in London in 2012.

LONDON 2012 AND BID PROGRESS

Evaluation by the IOC had placed London third behind Paris and Madrid when Candidate Cities were announced. Since then London 2012 has worked hard to dispel alleged weaknesses of their bid, these included a perceived lack of public support, transport plans and spread of venues. Presentations to the IOC both in Doha and Athens were well received and have helped get the message across and boost London's bid. The Prime Minister's presence during the Athens Games, where he demonstrated the strength of Government support for the bid, struck a chord with those who matter. Around the Rings (a prominent American website) has now assessed London as being a front runner ahead of both Paris and Madrid.

COSTS AND FUNDING

In addition to private sources of funding:

— The Government and the Mayor have agreed a funding package of up to £2.375 billion to help meet the costs of staging an Olympics in London in 2012, including support for elite sport and associated sports investments.

— The first £2.050 billion of the funding package will be met from up to £1.5 billion from the lottery and up to £550 million from London Council Tax.

— Beyond £2.050 billion provision has been made for a further contribution of £75 million from London Council Tax and then £250 million from the London Development Agency.

— The Government has also given the go-ahead for investment of an additional £3 billion on transport which will help secure a number of schemes that will help transport people to the London Games.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Olympic Ideal

— Sport comes first. The entire plan is driven by the needs of individual athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOC), International Federations (IF) and the IOC. The special requirements of athletes competing in the Paralympic Games are an integral part of London 2012's planning.

— As a nation we are mad about sport. This was manifested by the recent high levels of support for Team GB at the Athens Games both through attendance on the ground and high levels of TV audience participation.

Venues and Infrastructure

— 17 of the 28 sports (60%) will be within 15 minutes travel time from the Olympic Village.

— Sports facilities will be clustered in three zones:

The Central Zone: venues such as Lords, the Royal Parks, Horse Guards Parade, Wimbledon; This use of world famous landmark sites will bring the Games to instantly recognisable parts of the city centre and will take the Games throughout London.

The Olympic Park: a 200-hectare Olympic Park will house the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Village, the Aquatics Centre, the Velodrome and BMX track, three sports halls and the hockey stadium. This will result in over 40% of athletes competing just five minutes from the Olympic Village.

The River Zone: facilities just to the south of the Olympic Park (such as The Dome and Excel Centre).

— The Olympic Village will offer new, high quality, spacious accommodations and will provide a comfortable, enjoyable, friendly and secure environment for the athletes and teams.

— The Olympic Media Centre and the Olympic Broadcast Centre will be located right in the Olympic Park next to the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics venue and will be within minutes of 17 other Olympic Park venues.

Transport

London's transport will be safe and secure and will provide multiple routes to move athletes, spectators and the Olympic family and officials while at the same time keeping London and its businesses functioning. Overall:

— 50% of athletes will be just five minutes from their venues and 75% less than 15 minutes away

— Athletes, Media and Olympic officials and family will have dedicated road fleets travelling to and from venues, training facilities, village and media centre.

— There will be specific high-speed routes and feeders, dedicated Olympic lanes, parking controls and 24 hour, seven days a-week traffic management systems in place.

— Olympic Games traffic will add only 5% to London's average transport demand. However, overall demand falls by 20% in August.

Air

London is the best connected international city in the world:

— 4,307 incoming international flights per week to London Heathrow

— 1,589 incoming international flights per week to London Gatwick

— 1,321 incoming international flights per week to London Stanstead

— 160 international destinations from London Heathrow

Ground

London's transport systems handle around 20 million journeys a day. Nearly 11 million of these are made using London's public transport network. Of these: six million are bus journeys, three million tube journeys and 1.8 million train journeys

London's Traffic Control Centre manages the road network 24 hours a day seven days a week through the use of 4,800 traffic signals, 580 km of red routes, 250 km of bus lanes and the Central London congestion charge zone

Rail

All venues will be accessible by rail. It is anticipated that 80% of spectators will travel by rail.

— 10 lines will feed the Olympic Park with a total capacity of 240,000 passengers per hour. Nine of these lines already exist.

— Even now one 200 trains an hour go into Stratford regional station and West Ham during peak periods. By 2012 there will be a train every 15 seconds serving the Olympic Park (240 trains an hour).

— Using a special Olympic shuttle on the Channel Tunnel rail Link (CTRL) it will take just seven minutes from the heart of London to the Olympic Village.

— Existing Eurostar links will open up ground transport links with Northern Europe being only two hours from the Olympic Park.

— Government investment of an additional £3 billion to extend the East London Line and increase capacity on the Docklands Light Railway.

Environment

Enhancing the environment and promoting sustainability are central planks of the London 2012 bid. Working under the umbrella of Towards a One Planet Olympics, London 2012 is highlighting four sustainability goals in its bid:

— A Low Carbon Games to highlight the Global issue of Climate Change.

— A Zero Waste Games to ensure all Olympic waste is treated as a resource and diverted away from landfill into reuse and recycling projects.

— Increasing Bio-diversity—exemplary restoration of rivers and wetlands to create one of the largest urban parks in Europe in over 200 years; making a sustainable place for people and wildlife to flourish.

— Promoting environmental awareness and partnerships for sustainable development.

London is committed to providing an environmental structure that will set new standards for sustainable development in the community by improving health, environment and the quality of life. In essence, a healthier, accessible environment for all—cleaner air, land and water, more greenery and a safe and a welcoming landscape will demonstrate the vital link between environment, sport and health.

Legacy

— There will be no white elephants—any facilities that are not planned or needed after the Games will be built as temporary structures

— 500 hectares (1,500 acres) of new urban parkland—one of the biggest created in Europe in decades (from Hackney Marshes to the Thames)

— Six major new sports venues (Athletics Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velodrome, Indoor Sports Arena, Hockey Centre, Canoe Slalom)

— 9,000 new homes created within the Olympic Park after the Games (an additional 5,000 new homes created from the Olympic Village)

— 10,000 new sustainable jobs after the Games

— New schools, healthcare facilities and recreational areas

— Restoration of polluted waterways

— Easier access to transport links

— New road network within the Lee Valley

— New dedicated cycle routes

— Safe and easy pedestrian access

— New and improved bridges and underpasses enhancing accessibility.

Accommodation

— With over 68,000 three, four and five-star hotel rooms within 10 km of the city centre, London can amply cope with the needs of the Olympic family, spectators, the media, broadcasters and sponsors. The hotel inventory is more than double the IOC's minimum requirement.

— Further 20,000 hotel rooms due to be built by 2012, of which 4,000 are under construction and 16,000 have planning permission.

— Student hostels and halls of residence offer more than 6,500 rooms

— IOC can choose from wide range of world class hotels close to Hyde Park, central to all venues and immediately adjacent to evening festivals in Hyde Park.

Security

— The UK, and London in particular, has unparalleled experience and expertise in pro-active multi-agency policing. The Metropolitan Police Service in particular has an international reputation for handling major public events. This reputation has been underlined by its key involvement in the seven nation Olympic Security Advisory Group which developed a successful security plan for the 2004 Athens Games.

— Crowd management, general policing and other measures will be developed in line with public safety strategies successfully used at events such as the Notting Hill Carnival and Queen's Gold Jubilee celebrations.

Benefits of hosting the games outside of London

A London Olympics in 2012 will benefit the whole country. It has the potential to inspire greater participation in sport, increase the medal success of our elite athletes and would leave a lasting legacy of community facilities across the country. It would also bring a four year (2008-12) nationwide cultural and educational programme as part of the Olympic Project.

There will be a lasting legacy for cities and regions across the UK through the investment from visiting teams from other competing National Olympic Committees, coming in advance of the Games to train and acclimatise.

The use of world-class international football stadia in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will take the Olympic Games throughout the UK and will provide the best possible football venues for athletes culminating in the final in the new Wembley Stadium.

Links

— London 2012—http://www.london2012.org.uk

— The British Olympic Association—http://www.olympics.org.uk

— The British Paralympic Association—http://www.paralympics.org.uk

— The Mayor of London—http://www.london.gov.uk

— IOC—http://www.olympic.org/uk/index—uk.asp

September 2004

Annex 3

Letter to the Independent on Sunday from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

2012 BID BY THE BOOK

Your front page article "London Olympic bid `breaks rules'" (28 November) was misleading. Your headline was based on an unnamed source in a rival bid team, relying otherwise on a further unnamed source claiming our guidance to UK posts overseas might "sail close to the wind".

Neither is true. You could not find a single source prepared to put their name to these accusations because they are wholly false. Our guidance to UK posts was checked thoroughly with lawyers from London 2012 and the British Olympic Association, and with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to ensure it did not breach International Olympic Committee rules.

Bill Rammell MP

Foreign Office

London SW1