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Government bought 8,600 Games tickets Government bought 8,600 Games tickets
(about 4 hours later)
The government has revealed that it bought more than 8,600 tickets for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. The government has confirmed it bought more than 8,600 tickets at a cost of nearly £1.2m for the London Olympics.
About 4,000 tickets, costing £916,000, were paid for by central government, with the rest - worth about £300,000 - bought by staff or London councils.About 4,000 tickets, costing £916,000, were paid for by central government, with the rest - worth about £300,000 - bought by staff or London councils.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it wanted to maximise the economic boost from the Games.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it wanted to maximise the economic boost from the Games.
But MP John Mann said it was an attempt to "bury bad news" during the Algerian hostage crisis. In November 2011 the department revealed it had bought just over 8,800 tickets at a cost of nearly £750,000.
Ministers used 60 tickets, the most expensive a £725 seat at the athletics. At the time the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was understood to have put in bids for the entire government with the allocation to be shared across departments.
Mr Mann told The Telegraph he compared the decision to release this information during the Algerian hostage crisis with an attempt by a former adviser to Labour Cabinet minister Stephen Byers to "bury bad news" during the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.
"People will be very cynical about the government doing this now when everyone is rightly concentrating on what is happening in Algeria," he said.
Costliest ticketCostliest ticket
While former Treasury minister Lord Sassoon used the costliest ticket, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt received the most tickets and watched two cycling events, diving, football and gymnastics. Latest figures show ministers used 60 tickets, the most expensive a £725 seat at the athletics.
Of the remaining tickets 2,381 were bought by staff who had worked long-term on the Games or Ambassadors. While former Treasury minister Lord Sassoon used the costliest ticket, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt received the most tickets totalling £605 and watched two cycling events, diving, football and gymnastics.
A spokesman from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told BBC News the decision to release information concerning tickets was made in advance. Of the remaining tickets 2,381 were bought by staff who had worked long-term on the games or Ambassadors.
"The London Olympic and Paralympic Games were a phenomenal success. To suggest that government should be reproached for playing a part in that by hosting delegations and promoting British interest and business on this international platform is ridiculous. A spokeswoman from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told BBC News they would not go into details about why one particular minister was given tickets to a particular event or why the amount of money spent on tickets had gone up since November 2011.
"It took a while to collate the required information and as with all written ministerial statements we notified Parliament earlier this week of out intention to publish." "We were clear that we wanted to make the most of hosting the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics as a driver for growth, and decided that it was right to invest in order to maximise the economic benefits for the country," she added.
"The government paid-for tickets were used to invite and accompany a number of international and domestic political and business leaders, as well as guests with a close connection to the Games and its legacy.
"All invitations were issued against the following criteria: encouraging growth, encouraging health and sports participation, encouraging community engagement and volunteering."
The National Audit Office said 11 million tickets were sold to the London 2012 Games.The National Audit Office said 11 million tickets were sold to the London 2012 Games.
More than seven million people visited Olympic venues during the games with 2.5 million people visiting the Olympic Park.More than seven million people visited Olympic venues during the games with 2.5 million people visiting the Olympic Park.