UK: Underfire G4S boss should keep his job during Olympics says sports minister Hugh Riobertson
Record ID:
330920
UK: Underfire G4S boss should keep his job during Olympics says sports minister Hugh Riobertson
- Title: UK: Underfire G4S boss should keep his job during Olympics says sports minister Hugh Riobertson
- Date: 18th July 2012
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 18, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVING IN THE OLYMPIC PARK TO HELP WITH SECURITY
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Politics,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVADGS963AFK5ROTD46OA76TL3ZH
- Story Text: British Sports and Olympics Minister says that under-fire G4S boss Nick Buckle should keep his job to ensure the security firm is focused on providing a "safe and secure games"
British Sports and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson said on Wednesday (July 18) that it was important to focus on providing a "safe and secure games" after the head of G4S, the world's largest security firm, admitted the London Olympics security staffing scandal had left the his firm's reputation in tatters.
Speaking at a news conference about the finances of London's Olympics, Robertson said that it was not the time for Nick Buckle, the boss of G4S to lose his job.
"At the moment the important thing is that we deliver a safe and secure games, and G4S remain a key partner in that so I want stability at that firm, and delivery. I don't want resignations causing chaos," he said.
Robertson said that the fee paid to the private security firm would probably be subject to deductions for not being able to meet their contractual obligations.
"We are absolutely clear that firstly, we are not going to spend a penny more of taxpayers money on the security of the games, and secondly we are absolutely in the process at the moment of activating the necessary penalty clauses in the contract, and they will obviously be enforced to make sure the taxpayer is not exposed for the failing of G4S," he said.
With over 400 million pounds left in the Olympic budget as a contingency fund, Robertson said that none of it would be used to pay for the shortfall in security.
"Not a penny of the remaining contingency money will be used to make up the mistakes of the last few days by G4S," he said.
With the opening of the games taking place in a matter of days, Robertson said that the decision to use a mixture of people to police the games was the right one.
"I think absolutely the right way was to have a mix of military, police, private security guards and volunteers. Clearly we've had to alter the composition of that mix in recent days. I did spend 10 years of my life as a soldier so you know I have some experience in all of this, and I'm absolutely 100% confident that we can deliver a safe and secure games."
Robertson dismissed British media reports that the opening ceremony, orchestrated by Oscar-winning film maker Danny Boyle and due to be watched by a global television audience of a billion people, had been trimmed because of fears over security
"The decision to cut the length of the opening ceremony has genuinely got absolutely nothing to do with G4S and the security situation of recent days. It's all about the programme, it's all about cutting the length of the opening ceremony so you can finish between 12 and 12.30 to get people safely back into central London, bearing in mind that the last trains out of central London leave at 2.30 in the morning, so it's absolutely a transport concern and not a security one in any way," he said.
The political firestorm surrounding G4S, has cost the company about 650 million pounds (1 billion U.S. dollars) in market value, since it announced it could not provide the promised 10,400 Olympic security guards just two weeks before the Games.
To fill the gap left by G4S, the government has called up an additional 3,500 soldiers, many of whom had just returned from lengthy deployments in Afghanistan.
On Monday (July 16) it emerged that, as well as extra troops, nine police forces had also been called on to help staff venues after some G4S employees failed to show up to work.
There are an additional 2,000 troops on standby as a contingency to be called to help if required. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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