HC Deb 22 October 2002 vol 391 cc291-3W
Mr. Evans

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the monthly running costs of the Millennium Dome were in the last six months. [73802]

Mr. McNulty

The total running cost* expenditure on the Dome incurred in the six months up until the end of July 2002 (the last month for which final figures are available) was £1.618 million. This is made up according to the following monthly breakdown:

Month Cost
Feb £290,000
Mar £302,000
April £255,000
May £277,000
June £244,000
July £250,000

Note:

* Monthly costs include rates, utilities, security and maintenance, and English Partnerships' staff costs on management and maintenance of the Dome. Costs are calculated on an accruals basis and may be subject to reassessments, by the relevant authorities, of rates or other charges included in the cost of managing and maintaining the Dome.

These costs, and other costs incurred by English Partnerships since they took ownership of the Dome on 1 July 2001, will be recovered from sale proceeds.

Mr. Evans

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost of the Millennium Dome to public funds has been. [73801]

Mr. McNulty

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), which was responsible for building the Dome and running of the Millennium Experience, was allocated £628 million of National Lottery funds from the Millennium Commission for the Millennium Experience, which included the associated national programme of events across the UK as well as the Dome at Greenwich. NMEC is currently in solvent liquidation and it is expected that some £25 million of this grant facility will not be required.

Up to the end of July this year, English Partnerships (EP) had incurred a total cost of £21.4m. This includes, from 1 July 2001—when EP took over the ownership of the Dome—£3.3m for the management, maintenance and security of the Dome; £6.5m for decommissioning the contents of the Dome and its site in preparation for the future long term use; and £4.9m in connection with the sale process. It also includes £6.7m for the previous competition to find a long-term use for the Dome. All of these costs incurred by EP in relation to the Dome will be recovered from sale proceeds.