Response to HCP 199, session 2006-07 (ISBN 9780215032560)

As soon as London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2005, plans were put in place to deal with the enormous transport challenges that this would present. Over the seven-year period that followed, Transport for London oversaw a huge number of upgrades and infrastructure improvements to London's transport network. Accompanying these construction projects, was a major publicity campaign and planning process to ensure that the thousands of visitors could travel to the games as swiftly as possible, while allowing ordinary Londoners to carry on their daily lives.

The Olympic Delivery Authority remains on course to deliver its work on the Olympic Park on time, within budget and to the standard required. On current projections, however, almost the whole of the £9.298 billion Public Sector Funding Package for the 2012 Games is likely to be required, with little scope for further unforeseen costs to emerge in the eight months left. The construction project was 91.9 per cent complete at the end of September 2011, against a target of 92.5 per cent. Fourteen of the 26 construction projects have been completed and handed over and the remaining projects are on course. The Olympic Delivery Authority has also either completed, or is on course to complete, its transport infrastructure projects, such as increasing capacity on the Docklands Light Railway. However, detailed work by the delivery bodies has identified significant challenges. The likely cost of venue security for the taxpayer, for one, has nearly doubled: the latest estimate is £553 million, an increase of £271 million. The London Organising Committee, LOCOG, had estimated that it would need 10,000 security guards. The current estimate is for as many as 23,700. In transport planning, there have been delays to the full integration of some elements of the transport programme. Until this is completed, it will not be possible to inform local authorities, businesses and individuals of the full impact of the Games on transport in London. It will also be years before the value for money of legacy projects, a key element of London's bid, can be fully assessed

The Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the first authoritative and comprehensive account of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural event. It tells the complete story of the 2012 Games from inception, through the successful bidding process and the planning and preparation phase, to delivery, the post-Games period and legacy. Written by a world-class team of international Olympic scholars, the book offers critical analysis of the social, cultural, political, historical, economic and sporting context of the Games. From the political, commercial and structural complexities of organising an event on such a scale, to the sporting action that holds the attention of the world, this book illuminates the key aspects of the 2012 Games, helping us to better understand the vital role that sport and culture play in contemporary global society. The book is divided into two volumes: Volume Two - Celebrating the Games, examines the period of competition and immediately afterwards, covering key topics such as: London welcomes the world - hospitality and the look of the games Experiencing the games -spectators, tourists, volunteers, shoppers, viewers Media and communications Running the games Creating Olympic celebrities Protesting the games Commerce, retail and consumption Documenting London 2012 in films and books The legacy of the 2012 Games for London, the UK and the Olympic Movement Richly illustrated with the personal accounts of key stakeholders, from sports administrators and politicians to athletes and spectators, and including essential data and evocative visual material, this book is essential reading for anybody with a personal or professional interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, global culture or the development of sport.

This is the second in a series of National Audit Office reports on the preparations for hosting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (the first report was HC 252, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780102944273). It examines the development of the budget - costs, provisions and funding - for the venues and infrastructure required to host the Games and related costs such as security. On 15 March 2007 the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announced to Parliament the budget for the Games and infrastructure associated with the Olympic Park and other venues totalling £9.325 billion, some £5.289 billion higher than the cost estimate at the time of the bid in gross terms. This increase in cost estimates, along with a reduction in anticipated private sector funding, means that public sector funding for the Games has increased by £5.906 billion (which includes contingency of £2.747 billion which may not be used in full.) The overall conclusion is that the budget announced in March 2007 represents a significant step forward in putting the Games on a sound financial footing and should help those involved in delivering the Olympic programme to move forward with greater confidence. The budget process followed has been thorough, and the judgements and assumptions made by the Department and the Olympic Delivery Authority have been informed by detailed analysis and expert advice. Significant areas of uncertainty remain such as the finalisation of detailed design specifications, the legacy benefits to be delivered, how potential suppliers will respond to invitations to bid for work, and the impact of inflation in construction prices, as reflected in the high level of contingency that has been provided for. A number of recommendations are made covering the management of the budget and risk.

Marking the 10th anniversary of the London Olympic Games, Malcolm Batten celebrates one of the most unique moments in British transport history.

In this review, the success of the Games is underlined - the opening and closing ceremonies and 11 million tickets sold, LOCCOG met the challenge of recruiting and deploying 70,000 volunteers and medal targets were exceeded. The review also stresses the importance of building on that success to deliver the promised legacy benefits. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has managed the £9.3 billion Public Sector Funding Package since 2005. There is likely to be a £377 million underspend, though the final position depends on the accuracy of assumptions about remaining expenditure and will not be known precisely until 2014. The final cost of converting the Athletes' Village, and of settling outstanding contracts with suppliers remains uncertain. Operational costs within the package increased, with £500 million additional costs for venue security. The final cost of the Olympic Delivery Authority's programme to build the venues and associated infrastructure is expected to be around £6.7 billion, compared to the £8.1 billion that was originally available to it. The Cabinet Office now has central responsibility, with numerous organisations responsible for particular aspects of the legacy, for coordinating and assuring delivery of the legacy. Whilst future use of the Olympic Stadium is still uncertain, most venues and facilities on the Olympic Park now have an agreed long-term use and legacy tenant. The NAO also recommends that the valuable skills in project management, contracting and risk management gained by officials who have worked on the Games be deployed on other public sector projects.