Clause 31 - Distribution policy
Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Bill
10:00 am
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 74, in
clause 31, page 16, line 34, leave out subparagraph (ii).
The Liberal Democrats have always made it clear that they support the Olympic bid. However, although an important side effect of a successful Olympics will be the worthwhile regeneration of the part of east London involved—the lower Lea valley and the surrounding area—we want to ensure that there is no danger that the Mayor of London could hijack a serious Olympic bid and turn it simply into a regeneration project. Who is calling the shots? We are happy for subsection (5)(b) to say that the Mayor of London needs to have a copy of any proposals, but the danger of subsection (4)(b)(ii) is that it could give the Mayor, as a statutory consultee, a power of veto.
Until recently, as all members of the Committee and the wider world will be aware, the Prime Minister was not at all keen on the current Mayor of London and was critical of him: indeed, at the last mayoral election he said that he would be a disaster for London. Only in the last few weeks has the Mayor apparently become the Prime Minister's new best friend. We are therefore anxious to ensure that the current Mayor has no power of veto. Of course we hope that there will be a different Mayor after the elections this year. Nevertheless, we believe that the Mayor should support the bid, and I am glad that he has said he does.
It is noteworthy that the Mayor was not one of the leading public figures on stage at the launch of the bid at the Royal Opera House. That was very much the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State and Barbara Cassani's show, which is absolutely right. The Minister may recognise that we are keen that it should stay at all stages an Olympic bid and that, although regeneration is very important and worth while, we should not put the cart before the horse. That is the basis on which we probe the possible deletion of subsection (4)(b)(ii).