§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the tariff for private use of each main facility at the new Westminster conference centre and the criteria he applies when considering its use by non-public organisations.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1986]: The daily accommodation charges for the main conference rooms at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre are as follows:
£ Churchill Auditorium 3,000 Fleming Room 3,000 Whittle Room 1,800 Henry Moore Room 300 Rutherford Room 300 Fleet Room 300 Bookings on fully commercial terms will be considered from any non-Governmental organisation, body or person 352W for functions appropriate to the conference centre. The overall aim will be to maximise the income to the centre so as to minimise any net cost to the taxpayer.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the dates, occasions and nature of each event due to take place at public expense at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre from its opening until 31 December.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1986]: The overwhelming Government use of the conference centre during the remainder of 1986 is concerned with the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Community. This will involve a series of meetings at both official and ministerial level culminating in a meeting of the European Council of Ministers on 5–6 December.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the estimated outturn cost of the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre together with the expected gross cost and net cost of its operations during the remainder of 1986.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1986]: The estimated cost of the construction and fitting out of the superstructure including the fitting out of the extension to the parliamentary telephone exchange, contractors' claims paid to date, inflation, variation of price payments and furnishing is £55.7 million.
The estimated total operating cost for the six-month period to the end of December 1986 is £3.6 million and the net cost is £2.75 million.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names of the bodies or persons he expects to be sponsoring private functions at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre at Westminster in 1986 and the estimated income derived there from.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his reply, 26 June 1986]: Facilities at the conference centre are being made available for private functions on fully commercial terms. It would be contrary to accepted commercial practice to disclose such terms, or the names of the people or organisations with whom they have been agreed.