We are grateful to your Committee for giving the British Olympic Association the opportunity yesterday to answer questions on the British Olympic Association's involvement in the redevelopment of Wembley National Stadium.

  It was also helpful to have heard Rod Sheard's informative presentation to the Committee and others on the current designs of the national stadium. Despite the detail of the presentation and despite the statements that were made about the suitability of the design, I noted (and made the point in my oral submissions) that the Olympic Games and Olympic requirements were not referred to or addressed at any stage of the presentation. We interpreted this as a further indication of the continued low priority given to Olympic requirements in the stadium design and as a further indication that Olympic requirements have never been effectively taken into account.

  Mr Banks was asked during his oral evidence for his view as to why the Secretary of State appeared supportive of the national stadium plans in July 1999 yet reached the decision he did on 1 December 1999. He offered the view that with a change of personnel after his resignation as Minister for Sport on 28 July 1999 the British Olympic Association may have chosen to raise new points and to "try their luck" with the new Minister. This is untrue.

  The British Olympic Association, since it first put the issue on the design agenda in January 1998, has consistently sought assurances that the national stadium did not overlook Olympic requirements. The British Olympic Association consistently sought to ensure that the national stadium was capable of being the centrepiece of a future London Olympic bid, both in terms of seating capacity and to ensure that Olympic spectators would have as good a view as their football counterparts.

  Despite assurances to the contrary, Olympic requirements were not incorporated into the designs presented to the British Olympic Association three days before the launch in July 1999. Much has been made of the British Olympic Association's press release of 29 July 1999 alleged acceptance of the designs on the day of the launch. So that there can be no confusion, I attach a copy of the British Olympic Association's press release of 29 July 1999[8]. The way in which the national stadium's designers proposed to increase the capacity from 67,000 to 80,000 seats was only conceived after 29 July 1999. Immediately on being presented with these proposals (in October 1999), the British Olympic Association raised its objections. It was in response to these failings, that the British Olympic Association continued to reiterate its concerns. It was as a result of the continued failure to accommodate Olympic requirements and to refute the domination of the debate by bland assurances, that the British Olympic Association recommended that in order to address its Olympic concerns, an independent expert technical report should be commissioned.

  The British Olympic Association also welcomed the Committee's previous Report following its enquiry into the Staging of International Sporting Events. It was obvious to the British Olympic Association at the time, just how relevant the Committee's recommendations were. As shown in the appendix to our written evidence, there was a flurry of correspondence between the former Minister, DCMS and the British Olympic Association in the days and weeks immediately after the publication of the Committee's Report, in which the British Olympic Association stressed specific issues raised by the Report and sought to move them up the stadium design agenda.

  We would be pleased to provide any further information that the Committee feels would be helpful.

January 2000