Clause 32 - Dissolution
Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Bill
10:15 am
Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)
I can give no more explanation than I did before. We are looking seven, eight or nine years ahead. There may well be assets, such as property, that would not necessarily suit sport, so we would not wish to tie any assets down to a particular area. We believe that the formula in the Bill—the transfer of assets to the Secretary of State or other persons—is sufficiently broad to enable sport to benefit, and it would be at that time that sport could make its case. I have no doubt that in this arena, the Olympics, the vast majority of proceeds would go to sport in one way or another. The hon. Gentleman stated that the legacy of the Commonwealth games was, broadly speaking, to sport in general, and I see no difference between that case and this one. To tie it down too tightly, as the hon. Gentleman seeks to do through his amendment, would not be helpful, and for that reason I ask him to withdraw it.