The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Online torch sales will continue
MINISTERS REFUSED to intervene yesterday over the sale of Olympic torches by torchbearers (see also report above) as the London 2012 relay continued to make its way across the country.
Olympics spokeswoman Baroness Garden of Frognal told the Lords the torches were the property of the runners.
“I think that is not something the Government could get involved directly in,” she added in a debate on this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Lady Garden was responding to Tory Lord Cormack who asked if it would not be a “good thing to discourage the selling of the flame and the torches”.
His intervention came after reports that dozens of Olympic torches were for sale online, with some torchbearers hoping to make money for charity at prices ranging from several hundred pounds to £100,000.
Opening the debate, Lady Garden said the Olympic preparations remain on time and on budget and the Government hopes it will enhance Britain’s global reputation.
Lady Garden said the games represented a “oncein-a-lifetime opportunity” for the tourism industry and ministers hoped they would reverse the nationwide decline in sports participation.
Labour’s Lord Davies of Oldham warned about possible transport problems for people travelling around London and arriving in the capital.
“We cannot afford during the games to face the levels of delays we have had in recent months at Heathrow,” he said.
“This would cast such a shadow over the experience of our visitors coming here that in fact it would detract severely from the games.”
Lib Dem Baroness Doocey, a member of the London Assembly, said it was time for countries to stand up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and attacked the concept of “Zil lanes”, which will be set aside for members of the “Olympic family”.
She said: “How can Zil lanes for chauffeur-driven limousines and traffic lights that automatically turn green when they approach be justified when they create gridlock for the rest of London?
“Sooner or later some host city must have the courage to stand up to the IOC and say enough is enough — we will treat you happily like honoured guests but we are not prepared to treat you like gods.”