Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Debate between Baroness Garden of Frognal and Lord Mawhinney

Tuesday 15th February 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, I should never believe everything you read in the media. We are confident. In the words of the noble Baroness, Lady Ford, who chairs the legacy company,

“We are confident that this represents the very best legacy for the Stadium—it’s good for the community of East London … for Londoners … for the UK taxpayer and it’s a good outcome for sport”.

Within the bid, there will be constraints on how the stadium can be used.

[Lord Mawhinney]

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that it would be a weak and cowardly decision to reverse what the legacy organisation has already decided as far as the Olympics are concerned? Does she take seriously the point made by my noble friend Lord Higgins that this country would never again in the foreseeable future win the right to host any international sporting event if it was proved in this case that our word was not our bond?

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012: Olympic Truce

Debate between Baroness Garden of Frognal and Lord Mawhinney

Wednesday 15th December 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

That was in reference to the security around the Olympics. Matters of security are best left to the people who have responsibility for them. The Question was about the Olympic Truce. Obviously matters of security will be relevant to that but are not directly relevant to this particular Question.

[Lord Mawhinney]

My Lords, my noble friend has said that she is open to at least considering suggestions. Would the Government be willing to consider the possibility of linking the observance of an Olympic Truce by a country with its participation in the following Olympics?

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My noble friend makes an extremely interesting proposal. Given that we are at the stage of welcoming suggestions and proposals, perhaps we could have that question in writing and begin to develop some ideas around it.

World Cup: Football

Debate between Baroness Garden of Frognal and Lord Mawhinney

Wednesday 8th December 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, I acknowledge the noble Lord’s long-standing commitment to football and his wide-ranging contributions to the sport. On the matters of governance, it is not for the Government to run football. We have been clear that we are looking to football to put its house in order and we would expect it to address governance and regulation issues internally before there is any question of government regulation. But on the broad gist of his remarks, yes, we would agree with that.

[Lord Mawhinney]

My Lords, I start by declaring an interest as deputy chairman of England’s 2018 bid and, secondly, as honorary president of the Football League. I have two questions for my noble friend. Does she accept on behalf of the Government that when an excess of money combines with a deficit in truthfulness, the main casualty is the integrity of competition, whether it is national or international football? Secondly, is it the Government’s view that the charges and issues raised by the Sunday Times and by the BBC “Panorama” programme remain on the table to be resolved?

Sport: Rugby League World Cup 2013

Debate between Baroness Garden of Frognal and Lord Mawhinney

Tuesday 23rd November 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord. As the daughter of a Lancastrian and a Durham mother, I may possibly stand for the north, but that is perhaps a little far-fetched. The noble Lord mentions the difference between the two fees. The tournament fee for the Rugby Union World Cup was part of the commitment demanded in the bidding process, but there was no such tournament fee for the Rugby League World Cup. In the interest of fair treatment, the Government have said that the underwriting should be pro-rata, with a provision of up to £625,000 should the event not make the projected £2 million profit. That has been agreed with the Treasury and needs to be formally agreed by Parliament. The Rugby League Board is still considering the proposals made by the Government and we await its response, probably early in December.

[Lord Mawhinney]

My Lords, as regards world sporting events, I declare an interest as deputy chairman of England’s 28-team World Cup bid. I thank my noble friend and, through her, the coalition Government, for their willingness to support the guarantees which FIFA required and to which, in all fairness, the previous Government also signed up, to enable our bid to be made. I also thank the Prime Minister for the very active and personal support which he is giving to the bid, the decision on which will be made next week.

[Baroness Garden of Frognal]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that very constructive and helpful question. I assure him that the Government remain fully behind England’s 2018 bid and will continue to support the bid in any way possible in the build up to FIFA’s decision on 2 December.