Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the time trial race for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games starting and ending at West Park in Wolverhampton, what steps the Government plans to take to help Wolverhampton benefit from increased tourism and trade from that event.

Birmingham 2022 will be the biggest sporting event ever held in the West Midlands. With the potential to attract a global audience of 1.5 billion and around 1 million tickets available, the Games provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase the best the West Midlands has to offer to the rest of the world. Hosting the start and finish of the time trial race offers Wolverhampton a unique chance to set out a spectacular experience for both visitors and those watching on TV.

In order to maximise the economic benefits of hosting the Games, the government is investing £21.3 million into a £24million Tourism, Trade and Investment Programme which aims to attract investment, businesses and visitors to the region and ensure we deliver a Games legacy for Wolverhampton and other towns and cities across the region.