§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if any zones in the Millennium Dome will not be fully functioning by(a) 10 December, (b) 24 December and (c) 31 December. [98822]
§ Janet AndersonWork continues to complete the individual exhibit zones within the Dome. Zones are being completed in phases so as to enable the effective management of the overall site logistics, including contractor vehicle and staff movements. I am advised that all the zones will be fully functioning by the time of the opening celebration on 31 December 1999.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many parking spaces are currently allocated for very important persons at the Millennium Dome. [99320]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 24 November 1999]: Through its marketing and ticketing strategies, the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) is encouraging visitors to leave their cars and join public transport as close to their homes as possible. In addition, travel and tour operators are offering attractive travel and Dome admission packages. NMEC has parking capacity away from the Dome but close to good public transport links to North Greenwich using existing car parks where possible. When, in exceptional circumstances, NMEC is advised that parking is required for a particular VIP visit, it will be accommodated. There are no parking spaces dedicated for use by VIPs visiting the Dome.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tickets to the Millennium Dome within the first eight weeks for which they were on sale were(a) sold at full single adult rate, (b) sold at full single child rate, (c) sold at full family rate, (d) sold at discounted rates, (e) given away to sponsors, (f) given away in competition and (g) otherwise disposed of. [99335]
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§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 30 November 1999]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) is concerned not to affect the ongoing success of ticket sales through publication of selected statistics at this stage. Ticket sales and reservations are running ahead of expectations and, at over one million, are far outstripping advance sales for any visitor attraction anywhere in the world for 2000. I am confident that NMEC will achieve its 12 million visitor target and that the resulting income targets will also be met, enabling the project, over its lifetime, to be delivered within the –758 million cash budget set for it in February 1997. I can confirm categorically that no tickets have been given away free to sponsors.
Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he intends to write to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central concerning ticket sales for the Millennium Experience following his answer of 11 November 1999,Official Report, column 834W. [100677]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 30 November 1999]: I wrote to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones) on 6 December and arranged for a copy of my response to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the Mayor and Assembly of London will be permitted to make a bid during the eventual sale of the Millennium Dome. [101315]
§ Janet AndersonThe competition for the future of the Dome is well underway and we hope to announce a final shortlist of bidders early in the new year. This is prior to the Mayoral election and formation of the Assembly.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the timetable for the disposal of the Millennium Dome. [100260]
§ Janet AndersonI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 2 December 1999,Official Report, column 324W.
§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the criteria are for allocation of tickets for the Millennium Dome celebrations on 31 December 1999; and if he will make a statement. [99854]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 26 November 1999]: The New Millennium Experience Company, in liaison with the Government and others, has aimed to achieve an inclusive, exciting event, embracing a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds and with the majority from "ordinary" life, and others who have made a contribution to, or have a responsibility for some aspect of, the project. The criteria for the allocation of tickets has been framed accordingly. As NMEC announced in June 1999, up to 3,000 of the approximate 10,000 guests are being drawn from national and local newspaper competitions; other public tickets are going to Millennium Commission Award Winners and members of the public associated with Millennium Commission projects, together with residents from the London Borough of Greenwich as the "host" borough. In addition, some of the project's sponsors are running public competitions. NMEC's further press release on 4 November gave details 36W of how the celebration to open the Dome will be a passionate, powerful and spectacular event befitting the nation's welcome to the new Millennium.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which celebrities have agreed to perform in the Millennium Dome on 31 December. [101619]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 7 December 1999]: As the New Millennium Experience Company announced on 4 November, there will be a combined cast of over 900 performers using music, dance, and carnival, to move and inspire the audience within the Dome and the world-wide television audience of billions on 31 December 1999. The celebrations will start with the arrival of Her Majesty the Queen, following which the Archbishop of Canterbury will read the Lord's Prayer. The celebrations will feature Paul Daniel (Director of the English National Opera) directing an 80 piece orchestra, a mixed choir of more than 400, Jools Holland and his big band, and celebrity soloists from the worlds of popular and classical music. Announcements about other individual performers will be made in due course.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on publicity for(a) the Millennium Dome and (b) the Big Time Millennium eve celebrations; what is the total budget for these projects; and in terms of both current spend and projected budgets, if he will break this down by (i) consultants, including outside PR agencies, (ii) press offices, (iii) advertising and (iv) other expenses. [101618]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 7 December 1999]: The New Millennium Experience Company's (NMEC) marketing, communications and commercial budget, for the Millennium Experience, which includes the costs of publicity is set out in the company's Annual Report and Financial Statements to 31 March and was published in July 1999. NMEC considers that individual components of that budget are commercially confidential and that publication of the information in the categories requested would adversely impact on the company's ability to obtain optimum value for money from future procurement of the services set out, and would adversely impact on the company's relationship with its existing contractors in those fields. In the absence of a London-wide authority, and at the invitation of relevant Government Departments, statutory authorities, and the Millennium Commission, NMEC agreed in December 1998 to take responsibility for the co-ordination and management of the Big Time event, which focuses on new year's eve celebrations in central London on and alongside the River Thames between Vauxhall Bridge and Tower Bridge and at other specific locations nearby. Big Time is supported by the Millennium Commission as part of its Millennium Festival programme and London is one of 22 cities being supported in this way. The resources for Big Time are separate from those of the Millennium Experience's £758 million cash budget, but they will be accounted for by NMEC in the company's next Annual Report and Financial Statements, which will cover the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 1999 and will be published in the new year. Details of the individual contracts relevant to Big Time are considered by NMEC to be commercially confidential.