Clause 28 - Winding up
Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Bill
9:45 am

Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

I shall be brief again. We have already debated amendment No. 71, which related to the clause. I would not repeat that debate, which took place in relation to an earlier group of amendments. I would, however, stress—I hope that the Minister will clarify the matter for the avoidance of doubt—that it is crucial that we make it clear when the Olympic lottery distribution fund is wound up. We hope that that will not take place until after a successful announcement of the bid, and a successful Olympics in 2012. We obviously hope that it will not have to be wound up after the bid has failed, but after the Olympics have taken place.

It is crucial that the net assets go to sport at the end of the day, and that none of the money is wasted. We all recognise the sad history of the dome—I am sure it hovers over all Ministers like a spectre—and we do not want to see the Olympic bid repeat any of the mistakes that happened in relation to that. The point is still germane because some of us hope that a sporting use may be found for the dome in connection with the Olympic bid. When one goes to the site at the bottom of the lower Lea valley and looks at how close the dome is, just across the river, one can see that there should be some scope for it to be used. That issue does not relate to the clause, but I hope that the Minister will confirm that the Government recognise that on winding up—whenever that takes place—it is crucial that no money is wasted and that the net receipts go to sport.

Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)

I am surprised at the hon. Gentleman because he was present for the 25 questions that candidates had to answer. We said that the dome would be an integral part of any staging of the Olympics and that gymnastics, basketball and

handball would take place there. We obviously did not do a very good job of convincing him where we would stage the games.

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the games should be as effective as possible. We have learned from the dome; I am a Millennium Commissioner, sitting with Lord Heseltine, who had great thoughts about the dome and brought it to the nation in a previous Administration. Bless his forethought. We have learned from past mistakes about the original decision to build it and how to wind it down. The dome may become beloved of the British people if we run several of the 2012 events in it.

Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)

I am grateful that the Minister has put that statement on the record. He will be aware that another Minister in the other place, Lord Davies of Oldham, recently said that there would be no role for the dome in the Olympics because the dome was on the wrong side of the river. I raised the issue in part so that we had it on the record from the Minister that it would be an integral part of the games. I am delighted to hear it, and so will be those people who live on that side of the river.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause 28 ordered to stand part of the Bill.