London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Bill

My Lords, it is an extraordinary and unexpected privilege to find myself in your Lordships’ House. I have been made to feel most welcome and look forward to becoming, dare I say, one of the younger members of the team. And team spirit is what we need for the Olympics. It is what delivered us the bid and will deliver the best Games yet. But before leaving the starting blocks, I would like to express my gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Sheppard of Didgemere, who, as president of the business organisation London First, provides me and my colleagues with wise, prompt and good humoured advice. As chief executive of London First, I am a huge supporter of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have a real chance in the United Kingdom to make these the best Games ever held. But more than that, we have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the capital, and the rest of the UK, by securing a lasting Olympic dividend. My commitment to athletics stems from my school days when I was once long-jump champion for London. I well remember that surge of energy before rushing off down the track in a bid to do better than all those who had come before. The UK is in that position now. The bid team has got us off to a flying start, and has handed over the baton smoothly to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, which has put the team in a strong position to create an Olympics of which to be proud. Recently the International Olympic Committee visited London and felt we were some two years ahead of where previous host cities had been at a similar stage. So we have started well. The preparatory work over the coming months must pave the way not just for a superb Olympic event but for a permanent change to the spirit, physical fabric and economic structure of east London. This is what I referred to a moment ago as the Olympic dividend. And, as I learnt from my time in corporate finance at Barings and BOC, as well as making good investments you need to work hard to maximise their potential. The region in which the Olympics are to take place includes some of the most deprived councils in England. It is host to a young, diverse, socially and economically disadvantaged population whose prospects could be transformed as a result of these games taking place on their doorstep. There will be more jobs—recent estimates suggest some 38,000—more homes and better transport, resulting in a more healthy and prosperous population. We must all support the Olympic Development Authority in creating the infrastructure for these Games. I am delighted that it is to be business-led and the recent appointments have been welcomed by the business community. It needs to be allowed to get on with doing the job without day-to-day interference; and to achieve that requires clear political direction—someone or something that plainly speaks on behalf of all arms of government. But the Olympic dividend requires more than just the Olympic Development Authority. Government, the mayor and business will continue after the ODA has completed its task; and they share the responsibility of providing opportunities for the people of east London. The plethora of well intentioned initiatives to provide skills training and education enhancement arising from the Olympics must be effectively co-ordinated to that the people to whom these are directed genuinely benefit. In the late 1980s I set up a regeneration partnership in Blackburn, Lancashire, working with local businesses and the Asian community there, which taught me the importance of working with the people you are trying to help, to ensure that programmes intended for their benefit actually address their needs. The current review of the Mayor’s powers, including skills leadership, provides the opportunity to debate how best we collectively deliver for east Londoners. It is vital that business plays its full part in any structure in informing the training and education, in providing pragmatic leadership and, ultimately, employing the individuals. The speed at which the Bill has progressed and the decisions that have already been taken to drive forward transport projects, such as the East London Line extension, with its innovative commitment to employing local labour, and the completion of the northern ticketing hall at King’s Cross, are impressive. I would like, in particular, to recognise the way in which the Olympic boroughs have come together to resolve highly complex planning issues. I understand that they intend to continue this level of co-operation throughout the run-up to the Games. Lastly, as a former National Lottery Commissioner, I am pleased to say that the National Lottery was so confident that we would win that Olympic scratchcards were printed and ready to distribute on the day of the decision. To date, more than £3 million has been raised by the National Lottery. This combination of belief and preparation should characterise our delivery of the 2012 Games. It is the combination that generates the surge of energy required to excel and surpass all Olympiads that have gone before.