We report that the Chancellor, John Healey, will use Wednesday's Budget to put £7m into a full feasibility study for an Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted across northern England in the 2040s. The government confirmed the funding on Saturday.
The money pays for a study of whether the UK should bid, not for a bid itself. The study will examine venues, transport links, cost and the chances of a bid winning.
The government has not said whether the £7m is new money or reallocated from an existing budget, which department will pay it, or how long the study will take.
Read our full report: Healey commits £7m to study northern England Olympic bid for 2040s