London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Bill

moved Amendment No. 31:"Page 50, line 21, at end insert—" ““The London Olympics association right shall have effect from 1st January 2007.”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, we had a long debate on this and another amendment in Committee. The alternative amendment proposed to insert:"““The London Olympics association right shall have effect from,””" not, as in this amendment, ““1 January 2007””, but ““31 December 2007””—quite a significant change. I am pleased that the noble Lords, Lord Clement-Jones, Lord Borrie and Lord Pendry, have put their names to this amendment, which is where I started. I made it clear, both in our meeting with the noble Lord, Lord Coe, in the leader’s office, and in Committee, that this amendment struck a balance of reasonableness between the needs and, maybe, the demands of LOCOG and the Government and the needs and concerns of the industry. I still feel that if the Minister is able to accept the amendment, that balance will be achieved. It gives the advertising industry more space than it was expecting and needs—it gives the industry nine months: the best part of a year. It also gives LOCOG, more than any other organiser of an Olympic Games, five whole years of comprehensive protection to sell to its would-be sponsors. I beg to move.