The Millennium Dome (Hansard, 8 February 1999)

§ The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)
My Lords, the construction of the millennium dome at Greenwich is on time and on budget and I am confident that it will remain so. I remind noble Lords that the Millennium Experience project also incorporates an extremely impressive and comprehensive national round of activities, which are well under way. These include Tesco's SchoolNet 2000; Voices of Promise; and Children's Promise. I am pleased to report that your Lordships continue to lead the way in pledging support for the Children's Promise campaign.

§ Lord Peyton of Yeovil
My Lords, is the noble and learned Lord aware of my great anxiety that he will take this great opportunity to enhance the splendid reputation that he enjoys in your Lordships' House for intelligence and common sense? Will he seize that opportunity and undertake on behalf of his colleagues to produce a document which will make clear to members of the public the Government's plans—I am sure the Government understand them—for the cost of the project, its contents, access, parking and traffic, whether generated by the 2 dome or just ordinary traffic? Perhaps the Government will also give some sympathetic thought to the inhabitants of Greenwich before they are inundated?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, as to costs, the Government have made clear that part of the money to finance the dome comes from the lottery and the other part comes from commercial sponsorship and the face-value costs of admission to the dome. As to traffic, the Government have made clear their proposals in relation to road, rail and underground traffic. As to the people of Greenwich, I was in Greenwich last week and I can tell the House that the people of Greenwich are very pleased that the dome is there. The north Greenwich site has been decontaminated; the building of the dome has created 2, 000 jobs; and there will be jobs for 5, 000 people during the running of the experience. There will be commercial regeneration of the whole of that part of London, and people are pleased about that.

§ Lord Marsh
My Lards, as the project is on budget and on time, can the Minister tell us whether it is expected to break even and, if so, when? If not, what is the projected deficit, and when?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, there is no projected deficit; it is 'forecast that the project will at least break even. During the course of the autumn, accounts will be published showing the position. The project is looked at overall, not at a particular time. In June 1997, when the Prime Minister agreed that the project should continue, he pledged that no public money would be put into the project.

§ Lord Ewing of Kirkford
My Lords, is my noble and learned friend aware that I may have the most up-to-date information on the millennium dome? Is he further aware that the flight path into Heathrow today from Edinburgh passed right over the top of the millennium dome? Two hours ago I was passing over the top of the millennium dome in an aeroplane that was half full of Welsh rugby supporters. A chorus came from the Welsh rugby 3 supporters saying that the millennium dome was the most wonderful sight they had seen in a very disappointing weekend.

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, I can understand the disappointment of the Welsh. I can also understand that they were spiritually lifted, as is everybody, to see the dome as they flew into London.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, can the noble and learned Lord—

§ The Lord Bishop of Carlisle
My Lords, perhaps I may—

§ The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Jay of Paddington)
My Lords, I think the feeling of the House is that we should hear the right reverend Prelate first. I am sure that there will be plenty of time for the noble Lord, Lord Harris, afterwards.

§ The Lord Bishop of Carlisle
My Lords, can the Minister lift our spirits further by putting a little flesh, if that is the right word, on the prospects for the content of the spirit zone, given that the marking of the Christian era is central to the whole celebration of the millennium and has been formative of the history and institutions of our country over many centuries?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, as the right reverend Prelate knows, in preparing the contents of the dome we are very concerned to appropriately mark that this celebration is a Christian one. As the right reverend Prelate also knows, the Lambeth group has approved every step that we have taken in relation to the spirit zone. It is satisfied that the zone accurately and properly represents the Christian spirit in the dome.

§ Lord Harris of Greenwich
My Lords, does the Minister recall that the noble Lord, Lord Peyton, suggested that there might be some form of government publication in regard to the millennium dome and the Government's plans for it? If the Government proceed with such a publication, will the Minister guarantee that they will pay adequate tribute to the work of the Ministers in the previous Conservative Government who were so keen on this idea?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, the project was started by the previous government. We want the project for the nation and we want all political parties to support it. We are looking for success not for the party, not for the Government, but for the nation as a whole.

§ Lord Luke
My Lords, I am very pleased to hear what the Minister has just said because the project is an all-party one. I am also glad to hear that the project is on budget and on time. Does the Minister agree that the New Millennium Experience Company is doing a first-class job in keeping it on time and on budget? Does he also agree that perhaps there has been too much secrecy in the past? The idea of the noble Lord of publishing a briefing 4 paper about what is going on now and will go on in the future is a good one. Can the Minister confirm that the original criteria—which is roughly where we were, where we are at and where we are going—is still very much behind the project as it stands?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, I am happy to join the noble Lord in complimenting the management of NMEC, the company that is building the dome. It has done a first-class job. There is some way to go but I have every confidence that it will be able to produce in the future the same quality of management and service as it has produced in the past. The noble Lord asked about openness. I do not accept that we have not been open in the past, but we are now reaching the stage in the project where, as the dome is built and the contents become known, more and more will be known. I should say, however, that I will not tell everyone what is in the dome because I believe there has to be an element of secrecy. I want people to go down and see for themselves what is in the dome.

§ Lord Montague of Oxford
My Lords, if my noble and learned friend has it in mind to publish the document, will he make mention of the fact that 350 acres of derelict ground have been recovered as a result of this great and important venture and that the cost forecast originally of £750 million has, by way of income which the company is gaining from sponsorship, already fallen to £491 million? Does my noble and learned friend agree that it looks as though we are going to have an event which will be a source of great pride and a great success for our country?

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton
My Lords, I endorse what my noble friend said about the recovery and regeneration of the land. There was never going to be —750 million of lottery money; the figure is only —449 million. The rest is coming from commercial sponsorship and money made while the dome is there. I entirely agree that it is a first-class project for the nation.