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London Games cost demanded(Reuters)Updated: 2007-02-16 16:06 The London Assembly has called for the urgent publication of the budget for the 2012 Olympics after Games chiefs were unable to give any figures at a meeting with city officials on Thursday. A raft of stories in the British press have speculated about spiralling costs and last week the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asked organisers for clarity over spending on the main Olympic Park in a bid to ease concerns. Sebastian Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), was probed by members of the Assembly, the capital's legislature, but would not give specific numbers because the government is finalising the details. Coe said it would be "inappropriate to discuss any aspects of the budget at the moment, we are waiting, as you are, for the government to complete its deliberations". Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said last year the budget for building the infrastructure had risen by 900 million pounds ($1.79 billion) to 3.3 billion pounds, but some media reports now put the cost at nine billion. Brian Coleman, chairman of the London Assembly, said: "While this Assembly appreciates the considerable amount of useful information the delivery agencies were able to provide us with relating to the legacy of the Olympics, the complete lack of detail on what it is going to cost is extremely disappointing. "Surely these agencies, who are so closely involved with delivering The Games, and are accountable for its success, have a clear idea of the budget at this stage," he said in a statement. The London Assembly on Thursday voted in favour of a motion calling for urgent publication of the budget for the Games. |
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