House of Commons Papers : Third Report of Session 2002-03, Report, Together with Proceedings of the Committee, Minutes of Evidence and Appendice

The Cabinet will meet on 30/01/03 to decide whether the Government should support a bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Committee concludes that 2012 may be the last chance to host the Olympic Games in this country, and therefore the decision is of fundamental importance. Their report states that although it is desirable in principle that London host the Games, it should not do so at any price. The Government must ensure that spending costs and delivery commitments (for the facilities and transport infrastructure required) can be met and justified, before supporting any bid. If support is given, the Committee highlights the need for a senior Ministerial post to be created with an explicit cross-governmental remit to ensure the project has the necessary leadership. Although there could be a creative legacy option developed for an Olympic stadium in east London in due course, the Committee recommends that initially the stadium should be costed on the basis of construction and demolition after the Games.