Examination of Witnesses (Question Numbers
200-210)
RT HON
TESSA JOWELL
MP, MR DAVID
BROOKER, MR
SHAHID MALIK
MP AND MR
PHILIP COX
17 MARCH 2010
Q200 Mr Ainsworth: The artistic content
of events at the Park itself.
Tessa Jowell: I know that the
planning of that, in time, with some of the very best people in
the world, all of this will be revealed. This is really something
on which, if I could be so bold, in six months or so you should
take evidence from LOCOG because there is no point in giving a
partially cooked version. What I can do is to give you confidence
that planning is under way, people are being assembled and there
is clarity, and the Olympic Board has had the presentation about
the outline plans for the Ceremony, they were warmly supported,
and the Cultural Olympiad, under the leadership of Tony Hall and,
if you look at the Board of the Cultural Olympiad I am sure you
will accept some of the most distinguished leaders of culture
in this country are working together to develop a festival that
will be world-class.
Q201 Mr Ainsworth: It does seem though,
and would you at least admit this, that yes, of course it is great
that the planning is under way, and one would certainly have expected
that to be the case, but, in contrast to the legacy issues which
we have been principally focused on today, the arrangements for
the Cultural Olympiad seem to be somewhat less advanced, shall
we say?
Tessa Jowell: No, I do not think
that is true at all. I know that we have a Cultural Olympiad Board
in place, they have a budget.
Q202 Mr Ainsworth: What is their
budget, as a matter of interest?
Tessa Jowell: There is an allocation
of cash of £72 million and then there is some further
value in kind. I would be very happy to provide the Committee
with a breakdown as to where that cash comes from, but it is a
combination where some is coming from the BBC, some will come
from sponsorship, some is coming from the Arts Council and from
the Olympic Lottery distributor.
Q203 Mr Ainsworth: All money seems
a lot of money in the current economic circumstances, of course,
but actually in the greater scheme of things when you are doing
not only the Opening and Closing Ceremonies but also events all
around the country and also doing mass engagement activities and
also trying to get a legacy, £72 million does not strike
me as very much. Do you think it is going to be enough?
Tessa Jowell: Well, we will keep
the budget under review in what are straitened times. We are certainly
looking to sponsorship support and LOCOG are developing the business
plan for that now, as certainly all the major projects in the
big book are re-evaluated by the Cultural Olympiad Board under
Tony Hall, so the World Shakespeare Festival, planning has already
begun on that and that will be a great global event, the artistic
contribution which draws commissions from every part of the country,
and I think the Chairman came to the launch of that, and there
are many others. The Director of the Cultural Olympiad has just
been appointed, Ruth McKenzie, and I know she is very keen to
see every cultural form represented. Therefore, I think what you
can be confident about is that there is a budget and the leadership
is the best that there is.
Q204 Mr Ainsworth: Speaking of Ruth
McKenzie, what role did you play in her appointment?
Tessa Jowell: I did not play any
role except to be told that she was being recommended.
Q205 Mr Ainsworth: By?
Tessa Jowell: I was not on the
interviewing panel.
Q206 Mr Ainsworth: Are you satisfied
that LOCOG are now happy with her appointment because there was
talk at the time that they were not?
Tessa Jowell: I am happy that
they are, yes.
Q207 Mr Ainsworth: And is Boris happy?
Tessa Jowell: Yes. Well, Boris
has not told me that he is not happy.
Mr Malik: That is a leading question.
Tessa Jowell: No, because I do
not know the answer. Boris will have been consulted. I can tell
you very precisely that there was a process, but Boris would have
told me were he not happy.
Q208 Mr Ainsworth: He seemed to tell
quite a lot of people, but clearly he did not tell you.
Tessa Jowell: I think we may be
wandering into another area of contention over the appointment
of the Chairman of—
Q209 Mr Ainsworth: Which I think
is regrettable. The fact that it was contentious, and it was to
a degree, I think, is unfortunate to say the least.
Tessa Jowell: Can I just say though
that this is slightly beyond my brief and, although I may have
plenty of views about this, I do not think it is really proper
for me to share them with the Committee because this is beyond
my ministerial brief as Minister for the Olympics or even as Minister
for the Cabinet Office or Paymaster General, but perhaps not Minister
for London.
Q210 Chair: I think on that point
we shall call a halt. Can I thank you very much.
Tessa Jowell: Thank you all very
much.
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