Millennium Dome (Sponsorship) (Hansard, 1 March 1999)

§ 26. Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)
If he will make a statement on progress in obtaining sponsorship for the millennium dome. [72118]

§ The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Janet Anderson)
The New Millennium Experience Company continues to make impressive progress towards achieving its target of £150 million-worth of sponsorship. As already announced, £120 million-worth of sponsorship is confirmed and I understand that the company hopes to make further announcements shortly.

§ Mr. Bercow
I thank the Minister for that reply. Given the Government's professed new spirit of openness, will she publish, zone by zone, the sponsorship so far received for the dome? If her answer is no, does she not understand that the suspicion will fester that some zones are distinctly underfunded?

§ Janet Anderson
If the hon. Gentleman will be patient—I hope he will remain for the rest of this Question Time—I think that his questions will be answered.

§ Mr. Tony McNulty (Harrow, East)
Is it not about time that, rather than whingeing on about the dome, Conservative Members congratulated the Government on the £120 million gathered in so far; worked with them, rather than otherwise, to secure the best possible millennium celebrations at Greenwich; and stopped wittering on like silly little schoolchildren?

§ Janet Anderson
As ever, my hon. Friend has hit the nail on the head. In just such a spirit of co-operation, we invited Opposition Front Benchers to join us in celebrating this national event of international significance and I hope that they will do so.

§ Mr. Peter Ainsworth (East Surrey)
The Minister knows that we support the project. Is she concerned about the effect on the sponsors of the unseemly dispute with Church leaders over the opening ceremony? Given that the millennium marks the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ, is one and a half minutes of quiet meditation too much to ask in the context of 2,000 years in times past—or, indeed, eternity to come?

§ Janet Anderson
The hon. Gentleman says that he wants to support the project, but then attempts to find divisions where there are none. I wish that he would get behind the project wholeheartedly.
The Churches have let it be known that they want religion to play a broader part in the opening event at the dome. There is no division between us on that and discussions are continuing between the Churches, the Department and the New Millennium Experience Company. When the programme for the opening night's celebration at the dome is fully developed, plans will be presented to the Government and others. I say to the hon. Gentleman, in the spirit of openness which he has requested and with which we have complied, that we will give him full details as soon as we are able to do so.

§ 27. Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West)
How many zones within the millennium dome are now sponsored; and for which zones the sponsorship agreements have been signed. [72119]

§ The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Janet Anderson)
First, may I apologise to the House for the length of the answer that I am about to give? In the spirit of openness which we have promised to pursue, I want to give the House as much information as possible.
The New Millennium Experience Company has previously announced that the zones that are sponsored are: the body, sponsored by Boots, with Roche and L'Oréal; communicate, sponsored by BT; global, sponsored by British Airways and the British Airports Authority; learn, sponsored by Tesco; work, sponsored by Manpower; mind, sponsored by GEC and British Aerospace; national identity, sponsored by Marks and Spencer; and transaction, sponsored by the Corporation of London. In addition, baby dome is being sponsored by BSkyB and our town story is being sponsored by McDonald's.
Sponsorships have been agreed at board level and the necessary contractual negotiations, which are extremely detailed and often complex, continue. For the remaining zones—mobility, spirit, living island, local, rest and play—the New Millennium Experience Company is in discussions with a number of potential sponsors. Those discussions are at various stages, some of which will be concluded imminently.
I hope that that also answers the earlier question from the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow).

§ Mr. Swayne
I thank the hon. Lady for that answer. Does she accept, however, that that welcome transparency has come rather late in the day and that public enthusiasm for the project has been undermined by the fact that, until now, it has been characterised by leak, rumour and stupidity?

§ Janet Anderson
On the contrary. I do not know where the hon. Gentleman has been, but our impression is that public enthusiasm for the project has grown. He will know, as we do, that the millennium dome at Greenwich is fast becoming an international symbol of the millennium. Moreover, there is no point in our trying to give information when it is not available. As soon as it is available, we shall bring it to the House and keep hon. Members in touch with what is happening. I hope that, in return, Opposition Members will just for once stop carping and get behind this national project.

§ Mr. John Maxton (Glasgow, Cathcart)
As the content of the spirit zone is supposed to be designed by the so-called Lambeth group, which, incidentally, does not include the British Humanist Association, can my hon. Friend tell us exactly how much sponsorship money has been contributed to that zone by any religious organisation in this country?

§ Janet Anderson
I am afraid that I cannot give my hon. Friend the answer that he wants at the moment, but I can tell him that the New Millennium Experience Company is in discussions with a number of potential supporters and is confident that it will secure the support needed to deliver an inspirational and contemplative spirit zone.