Brown Creates New Olympics Ministry

As expected, new Prime Minister Gordon Brown has split responsibility for the
London 2012 Olympics away from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in
naming his new Cabinet.

Tessa Jowell, previously minister for the DCMS, is given the reins of the new
Olympics Ministry with new Cabinet member James Purnell taking over as Culture
Secretary.

The revamp was part of significant overhaul of the existing Cabinet made by
Gordon Brown on his first full day as Prime Minister after taking over from Tony
Blair yesterday afternoon.

The Olympics Ministry will now handle all government involvement in the
construction and budgets for the London 2012 Games while responsibility for all
other sports initiatives remaining as part of the DCMS.

However, the Olympic project will remain part of the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport, but will be overseen by Jowell from the Cabinet Office, where
she will also be responsible for London and the South East.