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London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Bill

My noble friend has made a compelling case for capping the liability of Londoners. I shall add a further matter for the Minister to deal with in his reply. In the bid documentation, the Government effectively state that in the relationship with the IOC they are the ultimate guarantor of the cost of the games. However, when it comes to the relationship with the Mayor, the lottery distributors and so on, the position is otherwise. The guarantee is far from clear about exactly what the Government are really saying. It would be extremely helpful if the Minister specified what the Government are undertaking to do. We know that they have undertaken to set in place the necessary legislation and we are embarked on that. They have undertaken to put the ODA in place and have embarked on that. But what financial contribution are they making at the moment towards the games in terms of the fulfilment of the costs of the games? What does that guarantee mean? My noble friend has argued for transparency in the council tax, but we also need transparency about who is bearing the costs of the games and how the costs are going to be met.