Olympics media centre

On 21 January Olympics minister Tessa Jowell announced that the Olympic International Broadcast and Press Centres based in Hackney will receive money from the Olympic contingency fund to ensure it can go ahead.

Along with Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe I have been pressing for the media centre to be constructed as planned - as a centre designed to attract top end employers. Creating new jobs in Hackney has always been top of my agenda in terms of the Olympics legacy. Tessa Jowell has been very supportive and I am delighted with this decision.

The global economic downturn has resulted in a shortfall of private sector funding for both the media centre and Olympic village. The shortfall will now be made up from the contingency fund which was built into the original Olympic budget to guard against risks outside ODA control. The overall Olympic budget remains unchanged.

The broadcast and media centres which are planned to be built as permanent structures with temporary elements will now be funded entirely from the Olympic budget and will be under public sector ownership after the Games.