§ 35. Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle)What is the estimated annual cost of maintaining the fabric and structure of the dome. [65227]
§ The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Janet Anderson)The New Millennium Experience company estimates that the cost of necessary maintenance inspection work on the dome fabric and structure during 2000 to be about £30,000. Such regular inspections will help keep maintenance costs to a minimum.
§ Mr. PrenticeI warmly congratulate my hon. Friend on taking up her new and challenging responsibilities. May I remind her that, although it seems like only yesterday, it was two months ago that the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) told us the dome would be with us for a quarter of a century?
§ Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst)Well, he wasn't!
§ Mr. PrenticeI was not responsible for scripting that.
My hon. Friend has told us that £30,000 will be spent on the upkeep of the dome during 2000. Would it not be a good idea to spend a little more on the extra bit of paint that might extend the design life of the dome beyond 25 years, taking, perhaps, the Eiffel tower as an inspiration for what can be done?
§ Janet AndersonI thank my hon. Friend for his question and for taking the issue seriously, unlike Opposition Members. The lifetime of the dome's roof is estimated at 25 years, which is one reason why there is that cut-off. However, as the Prime Minister has said, the dome is too good to pull down, and we want to find a fitting use for it beyond 2000. The Deputy Prime Minister's Department is responsible for English Partnerships, and he has asked officials to work out proposals for the best mechanism by which to encourage and assess expressions of interest, including a timetable and criteria against which bids may be judged.