91热爆

To mark five years before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games, 91热爆 London assembled a panel of experts and invited you to submit your questions to them.

The debate was hosted by Andrew Neil and included:

• Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell
• Chairman of the Organising Committee, Lord Coe
• Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone
• Hugh Robertson MP, Shadow Sports Minister & Olympics Spokesman.

In front of a studio audience in Stratford, East London, the panel tackled a wide-range of 2012 topics.

Funding

On the issue of funding for the Olympics,听Ken Livingstone pledged that Londoners would not have to pay more than the current 38p a week contribution on the council tax to pay for the Games. He vowed to resign if that pledge was broken.

In defence of the 拢9.3 billion budget, Tessa Jowell said that the National Audit Office had examined the figures and proclaimed it a robust budget that put the Games on a sound footing. The Olympics Minister said she expected the Games to be funded on budget but would not give further guarantees.

Legacy & Jobs

Seb Coe pointed out that London has always been lacking in sporting facilities and that the Games would provide a lasting legacy for the community. He mentioned that half of the staff working on delivering the Games was devoted to ensuring the facilities would be returned to the communities for their use.

The Mayor of London hoped that up to a third or a quarter of the jobs created by the Games would go to people in the East End of London.

Security

Because of the July 2005 terror attacks, the security costs of the 2012 Games have increased and were being kept under review, said Tessa Jowell, but she denied allegations that the 2012 security board was 'not fit for purpose.'

Ken Livingstone rubbished reports that London would be patrolled by armed foreign police officers during the Games. He pointed out that the Tour de France's visit to London proved that the capital can host large sporting events.

Launch the video player and watch the full programme for the entire debate.