SCOTTISH FIRMS LOSE OUT TO LONDON ON OLYMPIC CONTRACTS

SCOTTISH FIRMS LOSE OUT TO LONDON ON OLYMPIC CONTRACTS

FIRMS NORTH OF BORDER GET JUST 2% OF CONTRACTS

Questions have been raised over why Scottish, Welsh and Irish firms have
not benefited more from London Olympic contracts after a parliamentary
question revealed just 17 Scottish firms had received Olympic Delivery
Authority (ODA) contracts – in contrast to 1,022 English firms. Wales
received 4 contracts and Northern Ireland 3, while as many contracts went
overseas as came to Scotland.

SNP spokesperson on the Olympics, Pete Wishart MP, said the figures raised
serious questions over whether contracts had been marketed fairly across
the UK to deliver benefits for all.

Mr Wishart said:

“It seems clear from these disappointing figures that Scottish companies
are an afterthought when lucrative Olympic contracts are being awarded.
The imbalance in where these contracts are going raises real questions on
whether they are being marketed fairly across the UK to deliver benefits
for all.

“It is a double whammy for Scotland because we are already missing out on
any consequentials from the massive spending regenerating London's East
End for the Olympics whilst Downing Street deny the same funding to the
Scottish Government for Glasgow which will host the Commonwealth Games.
The Scottish Government are funding 80% of the Games’ costs, with Glasgow
Council funding 20%.

“Spending by the UK Government on regeneration around the London Olympics
should generate £165m - £33m per annum over the five years to 2012-13 -
for Scotland under the Barnett formula. The expenditure is on areas such
as regeneration and there is a strong case argued by all three devolved
administrations that this spending should rightly be subject to the
Barnett formula in the normal way.

“The UK Government is clearly failing to honour assurances that companies
across the country will benefit from the London Olympics, and in the
process, Labour Ministers are failing Scottish businesses.”