WESTMINSTER REPORT CONFRIMS McMILLAN’S OLYMPIC CONCERNS
Stuart McMillan, MSP for the West of Scotland, has expressed serious concerns following the publication of a Westminster report that suggests the 
The report by the House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee has supported concerns previously raised by the Scottish National Party that important lottery funding could be diverted to the London Olympics at the expense of other important activities.
The committee's comments are specifically about cultural heritage, however the concerns raised about funding being diverted to the Olympics reflect concerns in the voluntary and sporting sectors where it is widely felt that the main beneficiaries will be projects in London and the South East while projects elsewhere will struggle to attract lottery support.
Mr McMillan stated that "The concerns that my colleagues and I have raised about diversion of funds for the Olympics are supported by reports like this. Nobody objects to London hosting the Olympics but it cannot be at the expense of important charitable, heritage and sporting projects outside of London".
"Only last week I received a parliamentary answer which revealed the complete lack of benefit that the London Olympics would give to Scotland and Greenock and Inverclyde in particular. The costs of the London Olympics are spiralling out of control. From an initial estimate of £2.37 billion it is feared it could now reach £10 billion and eat into lottery funding for grass roots sport and also for cultural heritage according to this latest report".
"The UK government has yet to provide an assurance that this will not be the case and I will continue to push this issue until such assurances are given. I am very worried that West of Scotland organisations may get thin end of the wedge when it comes to future grants."
Similar concerns were raised in January by the umbrella body for Scottish charities, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), which said of Scottish charities: "These organisations are working with many of the most vulnerable in society and we seriously question why the most vulnerable in society should, in effect, pay for increased costs in holding the Olympics."
