Ministers are facing demands that British firms supplying goods and services to next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow should be allowed to boast of their involvement -- "after it emerged that 151 suppliers to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are still being gagged by officials," according to Vicki Owen of the London DAILY MAIL. One hundred and fifty-one companies "have been refused the right to promote their involvement in any marketing." Most "have been barred under rules that were designed to protect the exclusive rights of big-name sponsors." The figure, released by the government following a parliamentary question, "has renewed concern ahead of the Commonwealth Games." Of the 151 suppliers that were denied permission, "many of them small or medium sized companies, 108 were firms providing products falling in an 'excluded category,' meaning their line of business is in the same field as one of the major sponsors." Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna said, "I will press Ministers this week to make sure that lessons are learned and similar mistakes are not repeated with next year's Commonwealth Games, which thousands of businesses are helping to deliver." Becky O’Connor, sales and marketing manager at SE Controls UK, which provided temperature control systems for the Velodrome, said, "There were companies that were allowed to benefit and others restricted. There didn’t seem to be any logic to the restriction" (DAILY MAIL, 11/16).
