The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mrs Helen Grant)
I wish to inform the House that on 2 September 2013 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport laid a minute recording the Government’s commitment to underwrite the 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ and stage 3 from Cambridge to London. I have arranged for the document to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The budget for the event is £27 million. As announced on 10 April 2013, the Government will provide up to £10 million to support the delivery of the event. Leeds city council, on behalf of the Yorkshire local authorities, is contributing £11 million and Transport for London is providing £6 million for stage 3, from Cambridge to London. The Government underwrite, therefore, creates a contingent liability for the Department in 2014 of £27 million.
I am pleased to inform the House that very good progress is now being made to develop robust delivery plans for the event. The event owner, the ASO, announced the route for the whole event in Paris on 23 October. We now have an organising committee in place in Leeds, chaired by Sir Rodney Walker, which is working in close partnership with Leeds city council and Welcome to Yorkshire, as well as all the other host authorities. The volunteering programme has been launched and is already heavily over-subscribed. In addition, Arts Council England has announced £1 million to support a cultural festival in Yorkshire, and Sport England funding is available, via British Cycling, to ensure a strong sporting legacy from the event.
I am confident that planning for the event is now on track, drawing on the expertise and lessons learned from London 2012. Above all, all the key partners are working closely together to deliver a first-class event that allows our cyclists to continue to shine, inspires more people of all ages to take up and enjoy cycling and showcases the best of Britain at home and internationally.