There was confusion yesterday over what would happen if the cost of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games exceeded the money set aside for the contingency fund.

First Minister John Swinney said the already scaled-back multisport event would need to lose even more sports if it was unable to come in at budget.

However, Jon Doig, chief executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said that simply would not happen.

Both men were speaking to journalists at an event to mark the city formally being announced as the host city of the Games.

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The next games were due to be held in Victoria, but they unexpectedly withdrew in July last year after costs hit £3.13bn, far more than the £1.4bn they had expected to spend.

Organisers believe the scaled-back Glasgow games can be delivered for just £114 million with the majority of the funding coming from the £100m compensation paid by the Australians.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has also provided a further £20m, which includes £5m for Glasgow City Council to "utilise for capital upgrades and a cultural programme".

The UK Government has agreed to a "ringfenced contingency" fund of up to £2.3m to be used if existing budget funds and contingency "have been exceeded and all efforts to reduce costs have been exhausted".

The event will feature just 10 sports over four venues. The international federations for squash and shooting were among those to issue statements expressing disappointment at being left out. Scottish hockey also hit out at their sport’s omission.

Previously Scottish Government ministers suggested that if that contingency runs out then the games would be expected to scale back further.

Asked if that was credible, Mr Doig said: “No.”

He said they had tried to “derisk the delivery” of the Games by reducing the "complexity."

“So a number of those kind of aspects that the more sports, the more venues we add, the more complex it comes to deliver. So really, what we've got through at the moment reflects that delivery time frame we've got.”

Asked if he was worried about the taxpayer being asked to pay towards the Games, Mr Swinney said he was not.

“I have taken significant steps to make sure that we are protected in that respect.

“Two issues that I was particularly concerned about that I wanted to be assured about, one was that we had enough preparatory time, because I'm conscious that the two year, seven year difference is quite significant, and I have I'm reassured that that is the case given the fact that many of the much of the infrastructure is already here, and it's a narrower sporting program.

“And then secondly, I had to be assured about costs, because there just can be no public fund contribution to this.

“And what we managed to negotiate was a substantial investment from the Commonwealth Games Federation of about £100m, but a contingency of about £24m which will be drawn on, should that be necessary.

“But then also a commitment that if all of that is not sufficient, then the Games program has got to be reduced so that there is no call on the public purse.”

John Swinney said there can be no public fund contribution to the games  (Image: PA)

When asked about Mr Doig’s comments, the First Minister replied: “Well, what I'm saying is that there's, there's the £100m of investment, there's a contingency of £24m and I do hope that Jon is correct about all of that, indeed, many of the assurances in the program are that the contingency won't even need to be called upon.

But my point is that if it goes beyond that, it's not coming to the public purse, the Games would have to be reduced, should that be the case.”

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Ian Murray said the organisers had been “pretty conservative with the numbers.”

“Everyone's pored over these numbers, including the guys at DCMS who are used to running these elite sporting events, so I'm pretty confident they can do it within the envelope.

“They know there's not a penny of public money.”

Asked if he could 100% guarantee now that no public money would be spent on the Games, Mr Murray said there simply was “no public money available to spend on the Games.”

CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir said the scaled back event would secure the future of teh Games. She said: “Scotland has provided amazing leadership to work with us, to help us reset and reframe the games, and so we're really, really grateful for that. It this is the way the games are going.

“You've talked to other multi-sport events, they need to be sized at a scale that is affordable and sustainable, but yet gives all that that that great passion and performance for athletes to participate. So yes, this is the first of what the games of the future will look like.”