Chancellor of the Exchequer (): The Government has today
announced £7 million of funding for UK Sport to carry out a
detailed feasibility study for a future bid to host an Olympic
and Paralympic Games in the North of England in the 2040s.
Major sporting events can bring significant economic, social and
cultural benefits to the places that host them and mayors and
local leaders across the north have expressed strong support for
bringing the Games to the region. Hosting the Olympic and
Paralympic Games in the UK could also bring communities together
for a shared national moment and create a lasting legacy for
people across the country.
UK Sport has completed initial work mapping the infrastructure
requirements, costs and potential benefits of a Northern Games.
That work indicates the proposal merits further examination
before any decision is taken on a bid.
This funding will allow UK Sport to lead the study, working with
the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, northern
mayors, council leaders, the British Olympic Association and
British Paralympic Association who would ultimately lead any such
bid, to assess whether a Games in the north would be deliverable,
affordable and capable of delivering lasting benefits for the
communities involved.
UK Sport will be expected to present findings to the Government
in 2029. The Government will consider the assessment's findings
carefully and will update the House in due course.
