Policy background
- The Commonwealth Games is one of the largest multi-sport events in the world, with a global audience estimated at 1.5 billion people. It has been held every four years since 1930, with a short intermission between 1938 and 1950. The Birmingham 2022 Games will bring elite athletes from around the Commonwealth drawn from the 71 different nations and territories who are members of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
- The right to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games had originally been awarded to Durban, South Africa. However, in March 2017 the Commonwealth Games Federation removed hosting rights from Durban following its failure to meet a number of hosting requirements. In April 2017 the United Kingdom government invited interested cities to submit proposals for hosting the 2022 Games and, in September 2017, following a competitive bid process, confirmed that Birmingham would be submitting a government-backed bid to host the Games.
- On 21 December 2017 Birmingham was awarded the right to host the 2022 Games with a truncated timeline of four and a half years rather than the typical seven years to deliver the Games.
- Analysis of the hosting requirements and the legislation brought forward for previous, similar multi-sports events, such as the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006, the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Amendment) Act 2011, and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Act 2008, identified a small number of areas which require a legislative response in respect of Birmingham 2022. This Act addresses those requirements.
