London Olympics Bill

I beg to move, That the Bill be read the Third time. I shall start by thanking all the members of the Standing Committee and all hon. Members who have taken part in today’s debate. The Bill has received thorough scrutiny, which has been conducted in a fair-minded fashion throughout. I am particularly grateful for the consistent support provided by the hon. Members for Faversham and Mid-Kent and for Bath. They have been quick to understand and welcome the principles behind the Bill, and they have kept me on my toes throughout. I am also grateful for the support provided by the devolved Administrations. Hon. Members will be glad to note that on 10 November the Scottish Parliament gave its consent to those provisions in the Bill that trigger the Sewel convention, and I have taken the opportunity to place a copy of the relevant Scottish Executive memorandum, including the Sewel motion, in the Library of both Houses. On Third Reading, it is worth taking a step back from the detail to remind the House why we have introduced this Bill and why the Bill is so important to the success of the London Olympics. We need the Olympics to be on time and on budget, which is why we must get the ODA up and running quickly as the single body responsible for planning and construction. It is great that we now have a dynamic leadership team in place in Jack Lemley and David Higgins. I wish them both well. They have a proven track record in delivering huge projects, and they can now get on with the preparatory work that needs to be done on the setting up of the ODA. To do the rest of the job, they need the full set of powers and functions that the Bill provides in order to plan and construct venues and facilities, to co-ordinate the transport plan, and to maintain a clean Olympic environment. Through the Bill, we are able to ensure that the ODA is fully accountable to Ministers and to Parliament. The ODA will be at the centre of the Olympic project for the next seven years. After 2012, it will have a key role in helping to reconfigure Olympic venues and the Olympic park to ensure that the games result in real and lasting benefits for east London and for the whole United Kingdom.