On 23 April 2008 the House of Commons Select Committee responsible for reviewing the performance of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its report London 2012 Games: The next lap. This report contains the following judgements.

.."such a radical revision of cost estimates has been damaging to confidence in the management of the overall programme. It has also exposed the Government and Games organisers to the charge that the initial bid was kept artificially low in order to win public support."

NEW council tax rises may be needed to fund the 2012 Olympics and its aftermath, it has emerged. A leaked report and parliamentary answers suggest that not only will households in London be affected, but also taxpayers in the surrounding counties, including Essex and Hertfordshire.

COMMUNITY projects in the poorest parts of Wales will suffer a double whammy thanks to a decision to divert large amounts of Lottery funding to the London Olympics, a Welsh MP has claimed.

Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price said research by Alliance, the coalfield communities campaign representing local authorities in former mining areas, suggested projects in Wales would lose £107m as a result.

Minister for the Olympics and London Tessa Jowell claimed on Monday [10th December 2007] that the 2012 Games have "high levels of public support".

Well, she would say that, wouldn't she?

In truth, reaction to the Government's announcement it was presenting the nation with accurate costings for the 2012 London Olympics was, to say the least, mixed.

From: House of Commons Public Accounts Committee Report

"Lottery money will be used to fund the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, so the Fund expects its income to fall from £237 million in 2006–07 to around £180 million in 2009–10.

The regeneration needs of East London outside the Olympic Park are in danger of being ignored by central government, according to the boss of the area’s urban development corporation.

In addition, says Peter Andrews, chief executive of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC), weaknesses in the planning system caused by delayed implementation of government reforms is hampering regeneration efforts.

“The Olympics will promote sport and healthy living in the capital,” it says the website of Waltham Forest borough council. “We can now look forward to seeing the area regenerate with the best sporting, leisure and cultural facilities the world has ever seen."

The House of Commons culture, media and sport committee expressed “deep concern” about raiding funds from the culture sector to be directed towards the games.

Extract from: ‘Caring for our collections’ , Report of House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, 7 6 07