Birmingham Commonwealth Games (Compensation for Enforcement Action) Regulations 2021

Lord Bilimoria Excerpts

Wednesday 30th June 2021 Grand Committee

[Lord Bilimoria (CB) [V]]

My Lords, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (Compensation for Enforcement Action) Regulations 2021 set out the details of the process for claiming compensation for damage that occurs as a result of enforcement action, the timescales for each party at each stage and the appeals mechanism, as the Minister has outlined. I am proud to be chancellor of the University of Birmingham, one of the top 100 universities in the world and a Russell group university. It will play a key role in the Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham 2022 will be the biggest multisport event to be held in the UK for a decade. There will be 11 days of sport, with 286 sessions, 283 medal events and 19 sports, including eight parasports and the largest ever integrated para programme, and, we hope, more than 1.5 billion global television viewers. The Birmingham Games are going to have many firsts. They will be the first carbon-neutral Games, and it will be the first time a social value requirement has been embedded in every tender for goods and services. Birmingham will have the largest business and tourism programme of any Games and the first comprehensive and ambitious community engagement programme. They will be the first Games fully to integrate volunteers from all delivery partners into a united volunteering programme, and the first major multisport event to award more medals to women than to men. They will be the first Games to include women’s cricket—the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, mentioned this—3x3 basketball and wheelchair basketball.

The Games will be a wealth of opportunities for people and will deliver significant economic benefits to Birmingham, the West Midlands and the wider UK, through job creation, business and trade opportunities, and tourism. I speak on that as president of the CBI. The West Midlands region will benefit from £778 million of sport investment, the largest since London 2012. Glasgow 2014 contributed £740 million to the Scottish economy, and it is expected that, when the figures come through, the Gold Coast Games in 2018 will be shown to have delivered 1.3 billion Australian dollars to boost the economy in Queensland. Millions of extra pounds of extra tourism, trade and investment can be secured from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games under plans that will bolster the region’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery via the West Midlands Growth Company’s business, trade, tourism and investment programme.

A lot of employment will be created through the Games. Approximately 35,000 Games-time roles will provide important employment and economic benefits to the city and the region, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for jobseekers and professionals at all levels. Right now, there are 13,000 trained volunteers, known as the Commonwealth Collective, coming together to help organise, run and manage the Games.

The Games authority has worked with the West Midlands Combined Authority and partners to launch a Commonwealth jobs and skills academy to accelerate and amplify plans to improve regional skills and employment opportunities through the Games. Very importantly, there will be a focus on supporting young people and unemployed adults. These Games are titled the “Games for Everyone”, with tickets starting from just under £8 for under-16s and from £15 for adults.

From a business point of view, there are procurement opportunities, which will also support and promote the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP’s Inclusive Commonwealth Legacy Programme. This supports BAME-owned businesses in particular, and provides training and support to bid for Birmingham 2022 contracts. This is particularly important for me as the first Chancellor of the University of Birmingham of Indian origin and the first ethnic-minority president of the CBI, which has launched an initiative called Change the Race Ratio to promote and champion ethnic-minority participation across all business, including championing the Parker review.

From a culture point of view, the Games will have a comprehensive culture programme, with the Queen’s baton relay. From a human rights point of view, the UN guiding principles of human rights will be delivered—the respect, support and promotion of these rights and freedoms is guaranteed to all individuals under law and the Games are committed to protecting human rights.

They will also be the first carbon-neutral Games. The stand-out initiatives include the creation of 22 acres of forest and 72 tennis court-size mini forests to be built in urban areas across the West Midlands. Each mini forest will be linked to one of the nations and territories competing in 2022. This is a fantastic initiative, utilising sustainable practices and subscribing to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework—again, a first for the Commonwealth Games. To summarise, the commitment to sustainability will be based on four Cs: certification, carbon, the circular economy and conservation.

The West Midlands is one of the largest networks of urban communities outside the capital and home to over 4 million people. Its central location places it at the heart of the UK’s transport network and firmly positions the region as a dynamic and ambitious place to live and work. But the region is not without challenges. It has a higher than average unemployment rate, and overall deprivation is high, with 34.5% of local areas among the most deprived in the country.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed pre-existing disparities in the local economy, highlighted the growing challenges that the region faces and exacerbated the inequalities in health, education attainment, innovation and economic development. But as we emerge from the pandemic, there are now opportunities to do things differently—to champion the region on the world stage, transform local infrastructure and stimulate job creation, securing an inclusive workforce that is fit for the future.

Following his re-election in May 2021, the mayor, Andy Street, must continue to champion a strong economic vision for the region, working collaboratively with both the private and public sectors to capitalise on future opportunities, such as the UK City of Culture coming to Coventry and, of course, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which will bring new investment opportunities, showcasing the region’s dynamism on the international stage.

The CBI, of which I am president, has created a business manifesto for the West Midlands, developed in partnership with our members, setting out three guiding principles for the mayor. The first is to champion regional dynamism and global competitiveness to raise living standards—the Commonwealth Games will do that. The second is to transform digital and physical infrastructure in the race to net zero—the Games will help to do that. The third is to stimulate job creation and secure an inclusive workforce for the future—and the Games will do that too.

The challenges faced by the region are by no means insurmountable, and this manifesto sets out a way in which business and local government can work together, in collaboration, to ensure that the West Midlands achieves its full potential during the economic recovery and beyond. We stand ready to support the West Midlands and help the Games to succeed.

The Games present an opportunity and a challenge. The region is gearing up for a once-in-a-generation platform which will make a real difference, far beyond the 11 days of the Games. Regional and national stakeholders must come together, ahead of the Games, seize the moment and put in place meaningful commitments that will create meaningful benefits and a positive legacy for local communities. Does the Minister agree?

While 2022 might seem a very different world, given the struggles of the past 15 months with the Covid pandemic, we must all recognise and embrace this. Businesses have struggled during these turbulent times; for a city which prides itself on being a visitor destination, this year has been devastating. The need for the Games to deliver tangible benefits is more important than ever. The region must seize the moment and capitalise on this, while fostering local economic recovery, and remain a vital visitor attraction. To realise its full potential, more must be done to engage and inspire the local business community. Again, the CBI stands ready to help.

To conclude, 2021 has been and is a watershed year for the UK, post Brexit and post pandemic. We have just successfully chaired and hosted the G7, and there is COP 26 to come. Looking ahead, we have the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games 2022. Seize the Moment, our economy strategy for the UK, identifies £700 billion of opportunity and six pillars, including clusters. The West Midlands is a model cluster, and the Commonwealth Games will highlight its power through the power of sport.