Chuka presses Ministers on local benefits of 2012 Games
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
This week, Chuka posed a written question in Parliament to find out from the Minister for Sport and the Olympics:
(1) what assessment he has made of the legacy for the London borough of Lambeth and its residents from the London 2012 Olympic Games;
(2) what steps his Department has taken to ensure that London boroughs other than those hosting the London 2012 Olympics will obtain a legacy from the games.
Below is the response he received from the Minister:
“The London borough of Lambeth, London as a whole, and the wider UK are benefitting from the opportunities created by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“There has been significant infrastructure investment in and around the Olympic Park, including transport and utilities. Other economic benefits that have accrued to London include:
“Of the 6,442 contracted work force on the Olympic Park (excluding the Village) at the end of March 2010, 3,457 were from London, of which 2,185 were resident outside the five east London host boroughs (Greenwich, Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest). The Olympic Delivery Authority and its partners have a range of measures in place, including dedicated training centres, to promote sustainable employment benefits from the building of the Olympic Park.
“Of the 1,349 companies that have won over £5 billion of work directly supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority (May 2010), 689 were registered in London, of which 493 were registered outside the host boroughs and 20 in Lambeth. Many more business across London are winning work in the supply chains of the ODA contractors and LOCOG began in January its procurement for everything it needs to stage the Games, so there will be many more opportunities for business in London across many sectors to get involved.
“34,047 London companies, of which 27,418 come from outside the five east London host boroughs (June 2010), were registered on CompeteFor, the electronic brokerage system giving companies access to Olympic-related opportunities and the support to compete for them.
“The Mayor of London is responsible for maximising the impact of the Games across London and has been working with a range of pan-London partners including his family of agencies to deliver a coherent legacy programme that ensures people living in London gain from the positive effects of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”


Last month, the Streatham Hub Redevelopment was given the go-ahead.
If the Common is the only option, a full explanation should be given to the community with reasons and the structure should be there for as short a time and take up as little space as possible. The Common should also be restored to a better state once the temporary structure is gone. Consultation with interested parties, including skaters and users of Streatham Common, is currently underway.
The government has outlined plans for establishing a network of after school Olympic sports clubs. The
The initiative will build on the successes since winning the Olympic Games in 2005 which include increasing adult sport participation by 600,000 and ensuring that 90% of 5-16 year olds have at least 2 hours of school sport every week.
Over the weekend, Chuka joined local residents to protest outside the Tesco supermarket on Streatham High Road.
Commenting on the current state of negotiations, Mr Umunna said: “If Tesco comes forward with proposals which are acceptable to the community and the council, it is crucial they are legally bound into their commitments. Any contract entered into with them must have teeth, and they should not be allowed to renege on any promises made.


