Key Facts

• The hourly living wage is £9.30 outside London and £10.75 inside London for the year 2020.
• For subsequent years, the amounts will be determined by the Living Wage Foundation.
• The Organising Committee must consult with business and trade union representatives in Birmingham.
• The national minimum wage was established in 1998.
• The current national living wage is £8.72, while the real living wage is £9.30.
• Birmingham will host three new sports: women’s cricket, beach volleyball and para-table tennis.
• The Commonwealth Games are set to take place in Birmingham against a shortened timetable of four and a half years instead of the usual seven.
• Across the region, 571,000 people are paid less than what they need to live on each week.
• Only one in 1,000 businesses across the area are accredited as real living wage employers.
• The first time women's cricket will be included in the Commonwealth games.
• The proposed living wage is £9.30 per hour, which is £1 more than the current minimum wage of £8.72.
• There will be over £300 million in procurement contracts for local businesses during the preparation phase.
• The new clause aims to provide funding through levies during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
• It is supported by Lord Rooker of Perry Barr and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.
• Birmingham City Council and other local authorities with experience in hosting large events support this proposal.
• The visitor economy is a growing area in the UK.
• Measures in the Bill require reporting on the impacts of the games by the organising committee.
• A small hotel levy has been discussed and investigated for funding major events.
• Local authorities need sustainable funding for events like the Commonwealth Games.
• The new clause seeks to impose a modest levy on hotel bills.
• There is concern about the financial struggles of the hospitality and cultural sectors.
• The total cost of the Commonwealth games is about £778 million.
• About three quarters (£584 million) is provided by HM Government.
• Birmingham City Council and its partners contribute approximately £184 million.
• A £164 million risk to local government contributions due to coronavirus.
• The Mayor's budget has a £1.2 billion shortfall.
• A £700 million funding gap on the transport plan.
• Proposing a £1 levy on hotel rooms could create a fund of about £4 million or £5 million.
• The hotel tax would raise about £4.5 million to £5 million for Birmingham City Council in a year.
• Central Government will contribute nearly £600 million directly to the games.
• Additional funding of £3.2 billion has been announced by central Government to support local authorities dealing with the pandemic.
• The Birmingham Commonwealth Games originally had a delivery timeline of four and a half years instead of seven.
• The start date of the games will be delayed by one day to July 28, 2022.
• The opening ceremony will not clash with UEFA women’s European football championships held in England.
• Birmingham 2022 will feature more women's medal events than men's and is the largest integrated parasport event.
• £145 million of organising committee contracts will be available for tender in 2020.
• The Bill is integral to ensuring the success of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
• Local government authorities are working hard to prepare for the event while dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
• There are 2.3 billion people in the Commonwealth, making the games a significant global event.
• Birmingham is a diverse place with beautiful buildings and a high-quality art collection.
• The Bill includes reporting requirements on values of the games, commitments on accessibility for disabled people, promotion of sustainability, and maximizing benefits derived from the games.
• The Commonwealth Games should aim to improve the standard of living and economic opportunities in the West Midlands.
• The Bill aims to provide an optimistic outlook beyond current challenges.
• Nearly three quarters of a billion pounds is involved in the games.
• Sutton Park, where King Henry VIII used to hunt, will host triathlon events during the games.
• 10,000 local volunteers are needed for various roles including welcoming athletes and performing in ceremonies.
• The London Olympics legacy included improving education and health in developing countries through sports.
• The Mayor of the West Midlands has secured £21.3 million for the TTI programme.
• An additional £165 million of housing infrastructure fund money was allocated for Perry Barr regeneration.
• £2.6 million from the West Midlands Combined Authority was signed off for further regional contribution to the programme.
• A new Commonwealth jobs and skills academy has been established with £1 million from the devolved adult education budget.
• A £100,000 skills hub in Perry Barr offers free training and job interviews to 7,200 local people.
• The transport investment programme includes expansion of the metro network and rail investments.
• The Government's investment will bring about 5,000 new homes to Birmingham.
• Birmingham City Council is contributing approximately £184 million to the project.
• Unemployment in the region could rise by 192,000 next year to reach a level not seen since 1987.
• A capital kick-start of about £3.5 billion is needed to address unemployment.
• The Bill Committee demonstrated unity and a desire to ensure Birmingham delivers a games that all can be proud of.
• Around 41,000 game-time roles need filling with important economic and employment benefits.
• Contracts worth £300 million are available for tender, including opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
• The West Midlands Mayor announced the launch of the Commonwealth jobs and skills academy to improve regional skills and employment opportunities.
• 76% of contracts went to local or regional businesses at the Glasgow games in 2014, rising to 84% at the Gold Coast games in 2018.
• The global audience for the games is estimated at over 1.5 million.
• Over 12,000 athletes from 71 nations will compete in 18 different sports.
• There are approximately 41,000 staff, volunteers and contractors involved.
• The Commonwealth Games Jobs and Skills Academy aims to support young people and unemployed adults.
• Alexander stadium will have a permanent seated capacity of 18,000 after the games.
• Nearly 1.5 million people will visit the West Midlands during the games.
• The urban West Midlands is one of the most diverse regions in the country.
• Tipton is set to lose its police station this summer.
• The police and crime commissioner plans to spend £38 million on Lloyd House.
• The economic crisis requires £3.2 billion of investment.
• The games will provide opportunities to combat unemployment.
• The aquatics centre is located in Smethwick, constituency of John Spellar.
• Innovations like PPE production at Wood Green Academy and curriculum diversification at Q3 Academy are highlighted.
• Women’s cricket is included in the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
• Hosting international games has often not been financially beneficial for many potential hosts, such as Durban.
• The visitor economy needs to be a major beneficiary of Birmingham 2022 across the west midlands region.
• The Bill includes financial propriety rules and annual reporting on games delivery.
• Birmingham City Council has had three successive section 24s issued in as many years.
• £778 million of sport investment is expected from the games, the largest since London 2012.
• Some 41,000 games-time roles are set to be recruited.
• The Black Country needs targeted opportunities for change and recovery.