HC Deb 08 January 2004 vol 416 cc479-80W
Miss Kirkbride

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much public money has been spent on the Millennium Dome in each week in the last three months; and if he will make a statement on the total amount of public money spent on the Dome since 1 January 2001. [145811]

Keith Hill

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) was responsible for maintaining the Dome from its closure on 31 December 2000 to end of June 2001. During this period NMEC, funded by the National Lottery and not taxpayers, incurred costs of £8.2 million; although this was partially offset by £3.9 million of income from the sale of assets during the decommissioning stage.

English Partnerships (EP) took over responsibility in July 2001. Up to end of September 2003 EP incurred, net of VAT, expenditure of £26.6 million, after deduction of income from fee-paying events of £0.9 million. This figure (before deduction of income) is broken down as follows: management and maintenance (including staff costs) £6.5 million; decommissioning and site preparation for its long-term use £6.7 million; current sale process £7.6 million; earlier competition to find a long-term use for the Dome £6.7 million.

Weekly figures are not readily available, and final cost figures are not yet available for the last quarter of 2003, as English Partnerships is awaiting a number of outstanding invoices. EP's costs incurred for the three months up to and including September 2003 were £1.05 million, comprising £385,000 on the current sale process and £665,000 on management and maintenance. The incurred monthly breakdown is as follows:

(£)
Month Current

Sale

Process

 Management and

Maintenance (including

staff costs)1

 Total
July 131,000 188,000 319,000
August 95,000 252,000 347,000
September 159,000 225,000 384,000
Total 385,000 665,000 1,050,000
1 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.

All costs incurred by EP since it took over financial responsibility for the Dome in July 2001 and including the costs of the sale process will be recovered from eventual sale proceeds.