黑洞社区

Shadow Olympics minister Tessa Jowell today raised the row over Olympic marketing rights in the House of Commons, highlighting 黑洞社区鈥檚 campaign on the issue.

Speaking two days after ODA chairman Sir John Armitt for a relaxation of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) Olympic Marketing Rights Protocol in order that 2012 firms can better promote their involvement in the Games, Jowell quizzed Olympics minister Hugh Robertson on the matter in parliament.

黑洞社区 reported the frustration in the construction industry over the strict protocol - designed to protect the rights of paying sponsors - in its first issue of 2012.

Since then, the row has grown in prominence with David Cameron asking Robertson to investigate and Armitt, ODA chief executive Dennis Hone and Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) bosses Margaret Ford and Andrew Altman all questioning the protocol in recent weeks.

Speaking during Department for Culture, Media and Sport questions in the Commons today, Jowell said: 鈥淭he fact that 1,500 businesses from across the UK have built the Olympic Park and will equip the Olympics is a great British achievement.

鈥淒oes the minister not therefore share my concern that those businesses that have done so well and are rightly proud of their contribution to this year鈥檚 Games are too tightly bound by the marketing rights protocol which is preventing them from revealing the part they have played?

鈥淎nd would not every Member of the House in whose constituency one of these businesses is, not want to praise and thank them for their efforts?

鈥淲ould the Minister agree with me, with 黑洞社区鈥檚 2012 campaign and now with John Armitt, chair of the ODA, that we should seek from LOCOG and the IOC the necessary relaxation of the protocol to ensure a national celebration of our great British businesses, who built the Olympic Park on time and on Budget?鈥�

Robertson responded by referring Jowell back to the 2006 London Olympics Act and the need to protect sponsors.

However, he insisted that government was sympathetic to the industry鈥檚 concerns and suggested that the rules would be relaxed after the Games take place.

鈥淏ecause the process has been such a success, we want the country and individual businesses to go out and tell that story鈥�, he said.

that the prime minister has asked Olympics minister Hugh Robertson to look into complaints that firms involved in building London鈥檚 Olympic park are being prevented from taking 鈥渄ue credit鈥�.

This followed a call-to-arms on the issue by Peter Murray, New London Architecture boss, in 黑洞社区. Firms such as Olympic stadium engineer Buro Happold backed Murray鈥檚 complaint that LOCOG was being unduly strict in protecting the marketing rights of sponsor firms such as Populous and Atkins.

Armitt鈥檚 intervention comes after Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) chair Margaret Ford, chief executive Andrew Altman and ODA chief executive Dennis Hone, earlier this month at the Mipim conference in Cannes.