§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what will be the role of Lowe Bell in arranging the programme of events to commemorate the D-Day landings on 6 June 1994; what consideration has been given to carrying out the work in-house; what proportion of the total public expenditure on the programme of events is being paid to Lowe Bell; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SproatThe D-Day programme is primarily to commemorate the landings by the armed services. But, through a series of appropriate nationwide events, it will also mark the important involvement of the wider civilian population.
Lowe Bell was chosen, in open competition, to assist the DNH to co-ordinate and publicise these events, to stimulate new ideas for other events and to help organise them, and to raise private sponsorship. Through the DNH it will complement the work done by the MoD and the tourist board.
The public expenditure on the D-Day commemorations will be affected by the extent of private sponsorship, and by activities which the tourist boards, local authorities and other public bodies undertake. The proportion of this activity represented by Lowe Bell's fee is not yet known. Its fee, as has already been made public, is £62,500.