From Inside the Games
A bid from Birmingham for the 2022 Commonwealth Games was today officially confirmed by the United Kingdom Government.
Confirmation of the bid comes just a day before the official deadline set by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) for countries to submit their applications to replace Durban, the South African city stripped of the event in March after failing to meet a series of financial deadlines.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) had picked Birmingham earlier this month as its preferred candidate, choosing it ahead of its only rival Liverpool.
But backing it as an official candidate rested on Birmingham putting forward a compelling business case which showed “clear value for taxpayers’ money” to receive Government funding.
Should Birmingham be awarded the Games, which it is expected to be, then a full budget will be presented to Parliament as the Government will provide most of the funding, expected to be up to £750 million ($1 billion/€850 million).
Birmingham City Council will provide 25 per cent of the total cost of staging the Games.
The budget will include staging, the cost of constructing and upgrading facilities, security and a “prudent” contingency.
The DCMS would manage the financing of the Games and will “bear down heavily on costs to ensure value for public expenditure”, they have promised.
