DCMS is the lead Government Department for the delivery of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
It is also responsible for the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006, the overall finances of the Games, and sponsorship of the Olympic Delivery Authority - the public body established to deliver the new Olympic venues and facilities for the Games and the Olympic Park infrastructure linking the park to the rest of the Lower Lea Valley.
The Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics is responsible for the Government's overall Olympic and Paralympic Programme and legacy plans, to which a number of Departments will contribute. As such, she will co-chair (with the Mayor of London) the Olympic Board and exercise statutory and other functions with respect to the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG), the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the Olympic Lottery Distributor (OLD).
The Government Olympic Executive (GOE), which remains part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will report to the Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics through the Permanent Secretary of the Department.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will continue to exercise statutory and other functions in respect of the various established sporting, cultural and other bodies including UK Sport and Sport England.
As part of these responsibilities, he is therefore responsible for: elite athlete training for the London 2012 Olympics; the sports legacy for 2012; and laying before the House the National Lottery statutory instrument transferring funds to the Olympic Lottery Distributor. To ensure close co-ordination on sporting matters, the Minister for Sport will continue, as previously, to attend the Olympic Board.
The Secretary of State and the Minister for the Olympics have joint responsibility for the Cultural Olympiad. This recognises the importance of the cultural programme to London 2012, and of seeing the Olympiad as a key opportunity for the cultural sectors, with a lasting legacy.
DCMS also works closely with the following stakeholders.
The Olympic Board
The Olympic Board encompasses the Olympics Minister, the Mayor of London, and the chairs of BOA and LOCOG.
The Board provides oversight, strategic co-ordination and monitoring of the total 2012 Games project, ensuring the delivery of the commitments made to the International Olympic Committee when the Games were awarded to London, and a sustainable legacy from the staging of the Games.
top
London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006
The London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 was introduced to Parliament on 14 July 2005 – eight days after London was announced as Host City – and received Royal Assent less than nine months later, on March 30 2006.
The Act does three vital things:
- Sets up the Olympic Delivery Authority, responsible for ensuring delivery of the new venues and infrastructure for the Games
- Grants the Mayor of London Olympic-specific powers to enable him to fulfill his obligations under the Host City Contract
- Ensures that we meet the commitments given in London's bid on how the Games, and the Olympic environment, will be managed – particularly in relation to advertising and marketing
See also:
