London Olympics Bill

I would like briefly to speak in support of amendments Nos. 2, 4 and 7. The Olympics is a unique opportunity in the history of our country to build not only sporting participation at grass-roots level and sporting excellence, but pride in our people, our country, our achievements and indeed our communities. We should all do a lot more of that. In Committee, the Minister stated strongly that he felt that the Bill as drafted would not deter communities, sports clubs and voluntary organisations from becoming fully involved in the Olympics in whatever way was felt fit and that the correct balance would be struck. While I of course take him at his word, the Bill does little to back that up and, with the greatest respect to him, it is highly unlikely that he will be in place throughout the life of the Bill. Therefore, I support the amendment to ensure that what is currently, according to the Minister, implicit in the Bill becomes a little more explicit and that LOCOG is required to have regard to the involvement of sports clubs and interest groups in what will be, I am sure, a historic event for our country. This is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world and its value is widely appreciated among those who may be approached to be sponsors. Many worldwide sponsors, including Visa, which is a major employer in my constituency, have been sponsors since 1986, showing that we have quite a lot of repeat purchase in the market. The Government need to ensure that they maximise the benefits for the country in the broadest way, as well as protecting the interests of those sponsors. It is a two-way street. As the Minister agreed in Committee, it is a question of balance. There is an important balance to be struck. That has been reiterated by other third parties, including Arup in the report that it was commissioned to undertake in May 2002. We raised the issue in Committee. As I said, the Minister stated that sports clubs and other organisations could participate. Indeed, he went a little further and said that they would receive ““class exemptions””, but I understand from my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent (Hugh Robertson) that, as a result of discussions with LOCOG, it has become clear subsequently that the blanket exemptions may not be as forthcoming as the Minister originally anticipated. That has served to underpin the growing concern among differing communities and sports groups that their role may be somewhat squeezed. We have heard from my hon. Friend about community groups such as Soul in the City and the YMCA, which share our concern that the Bill could undermine their good plans to involve youth in our communities, particularly in London, in building sports involvement as part of the Olympics as a whole. I have taken the opportunity to speak to a number of major worldwide sponsors and there is a lot of agreement that the community dimension of the games is vital and something that they will pursue vigorously. The Minister may want to consider the fact that, just as ambush marketing can undermine the value of sponsorship, so our communities and sporting organisations can feel marginalised by their treatment within this historic event. That is something that is well worth considering. He may wish to pursue that matter, as I have, in conversations directly with some of the sponsors, because it was most enlightening. Community groups can benefit from involvement in the Olympics in many ways, including through fund-raising events for teams. We must ensure that we involve every resident of our country, not just those living within the M25 or in the vicinity of the locations for the sporting events, in promoting grass-roots sports. The Bill is not explicit in its commitment to non-commercial, voluntary organisations. The amendment makes the Minister’s verbal reassurances much more tangible and would provide a hook for those organisations to lobby LOCOG to agree a framework within which they can operate in support of the games. That will help many organisations such as the ones we have spoken about and others to plan their contributions to this historic celebration with a little more certainty. On amendment No. 7, the elements of the Bill that relate to advertising and marketing are highly regulated. As my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent and the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) said, the IOC manuals relating to this aspect of the Bill are not freely available to us. While the Minister was kind enough to enable us to see extracts of those in Committee, they raised as many questions as they answered. He confirmed that the manuals would be subject to change until a date that has not yet been confirmed. Amendment No. 7 would ensure that, if a change is required in the manuals or in any aspect of the Bill that relates to advertising and marketing, the industry will be consulted. Any unforeseen impact on business could undermine not just the role of businesses and marketing in the Olympics, but the economic benefit of the Olympics for our country. My objective in speaking today is simple. We need to ensure that the London Olympics benefits as many people as possible and that we strike the right balance, on which we are rather short of the mark at the moment.