The Cabinet Committee met today to discuss the Olympic Games. This morning’s meeting was chaired by Jeremy Hunt.

Current situation

Yesterday was another successful day for the Olympics.  There were some challenges on the transport network but on the whole everything ran smoothly.

The Committee discussed visitor numbers for London. It is important to set the issue in perspective. London is busier than normal at this time of year, with a 10.5% increase in tube journeys yesterday. Off-peak and evenings are particularly busy suggesting that people are listening to travel advice.  Clearly there has been some displacement of crowds from parts of the west to the east end. Feedback from west end retailers has been mixed, with some benefitting and others noticing smaller crowd numbers.  It is important to look at the big picture – the Games are a global advert for London with benefits that will be reaped for many years.

The Committee looked ahead to this weekend, where the use of venues, live sites in London and other attractions is expected to increase. Plans for crowd management in, out and around Olympic venues were also discussed.

Today’s Ministerial activities include:

• Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is attending swimming.
• Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt is attending table tennis, hockey and swimming.
• Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson is attending rowing, archery, gymnastics and beach volleyball.

Background information

Ministers and senior officials are meeting in the run up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Committee has been established to ensure strategic coordination across the Olympic project.

Follow @2012govpress on Twitter for Government Olympic Communication updates.