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Scotland picks up pace in Commonwealth Games bid
15/12/2005
Glasgow moved closer to being officially designated Candidate City for the 2014 Commonwealth Games today.
First Minister Jack McConnell said Scotland will stay one step ahead of the competition in the bid to bring the Games here.
He was speaking as he joined the Chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland and the Leader of Glasgow City Council to sign the document that officially designates Glasgow as a candidate.
The First Minister said:
"Today is a hugely significant day in the race to 2014. Scotland was the first country to declare its interest in hosting the Games - and we were the first country to nominate its preferred city. Now we are the first country to officially lodge our bid with the Commonwealth Games Federation.
"Bringing the 2014 Games to Scotland would bring benefits to our whole country. We will have a quality bid, one that will deliver an event that will be the envy of the world. This is going to be a tough contest though, and we need to stay one step ahead of the competition."
Louise Martin of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland said:
"Today is an important step on Scotland's Commonwealth Games journey that demonstrates our commitment to bidding for and hopefully, hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
"Together with the Scottish Executive and Glasgow City Council we are building a strong partnership and with our application for official candidacy now being submitted we look forward to the 2006 Games in Melbourne and the opportunity to inform the rest of the Commonwealth about the terrific bid we are putting together."
Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow City Council said:
"Today is another significant landmark in our efforts to bring the 2014 Games to Scotland and to Glasgow. There is a great deal of hard work going on behind the scenes and the partnership working between the Council, Executive and the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland is first-class. This bid is on track to be a winning one."
A letter confirming the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland's intention to bid for the Commonwealth Games must be sent to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). This letter is accompanied by a commitment to pay a non-refundable deposit of £60,000 on acknowledgement of the acceptance as a Candidate City by the CGF.
Scotland must also accept the CGF's candidature procedure. This is the document that the First Minister, Louise Martin and Steven Purcell have signed.
The £60,000 entitles Scotland to:
- All documentation for candidate cities
- Access to the Commonwealth Games knowledge management programme
- Evaluation of our bid (excluding the cost of travel and accommodation)
- Ten places on the official Commonwealth Games observer programme
- A CGF candidate city briefing in February with a full briefing in May/June
The final decision on the host of the 2014 Games will be made in Sri Lanka in November 2007.