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DCMS Annual Report

The hon. Gentleman's party was involved in the original bid proposals—as was the hon. Member for Bath, who led for his party on this matter—so he will know what was required in putting together the bid, what the International Olympic Committee agreed, and what the IOC will expect from the London games. Commitments were made in those bidding documents. My right hon. Friend and I sit on the Olympic Delivery Authority board, and discussions have been held about what opportunities exist to make variations, not only for the sake of cost but for legacy reasons as well. I can honestly say that decisions are taken with maximum involvement and consideration of the commitments given, as well as of the legacy. The hon. Gentleman will know that the Mayor of London sits on the board and has made similar points. It is obviously the Opposition's right to scrutinise what goes on, but we need to get the balance right. We may give the impression that costs are out of control and things are not going well, but the reality is quite different. The IOC was here recently, and it has given its support to the progress made. There is a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, not only in east London but across London and the UK, for the success of the games. We must balance the position of the Olympics with their possible impact, which we all want to see, on developing sports participation and culture in this country. The hon. Gentleman asked what will happen to the stadium. Work is being done with the London Development Agency, the partners and the ODA on what its future use should be. Again, however, commitments were made to athletics about the need for an athletics stadium with a warm-up track, and the stadium's future outcomes for the legacy must be considered. There is no doubt in my mind that the success of the Olympians and Paralympians in Beijing, to which we all pay tribute, has created enthusiasm, interest and inspiration for London 2012. We need to maximise the benefits. The hon. Gentleman mentioned free swimming, as did the hon. Member for Bath. I make no apologies for the attacks that I made on those local authorities that are playing politics with that issue. I accept that there were some problems with flexibility, but we have tried to accommodate that in the outcomes by considering their impact on over-60s and under-16s. I also accept that it is for local authorities to make that decision. We did not say that a Government scheme would be imposed on local authorities; we said that our surveys show that swimming is the activity that most people can do and that it is most likely to gain the support of local government in terms of impact and development. We are pleased at our ability to get other Departments, such as the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, to contribute to that bigger picture. One authority, a Liberal Democrat authority in Hull, told me quite bluntly that the over-60s are not a priority. If that is the authority's decision, fine, but it seems like a wasted opportunity to me. The issue was about not only free swimming, but the opportunities that free swimming gave for local authorities to offer other recreational services, which could have enhanced the sport offer. However, we have been flexible. We have tried to work with local government and will continue to do so. Hopefully, some who said no will reconsider their position in future rounds of bidding. The hon. Member for Bournemouth, East welcomed library modernisation and made a relevant point about how libraries must reflect the changing nature of society. He also discussed the digital switchover, which is going to schedule. Some 80 per cent. of UK homes have taken up digital TV, and we want to work with others to ensure that everybody has the opportunity. I was not too sure about the attack on the regional development agencies and the hon. Gentleman's perception that they have problems passing on money. The Northwest Regional Development Agency has been outstanding in terms of its work with Liverpool, and Liverpool's position as a capital of culture gave the regional economy an £800 million boost.