§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to the answer of the Prime Minister of 28 February 1996,Official Report, column 568, for what purpose and to whom funds will be contributed by the private sector to offset the cost of mounting the millennium exhibition; and what advantages will such donors gain from their contributions. [19571]
§ Mr. Sproat[holding answer Friday 8 March 1996]: The Millennium Commission makes all decisions entirely independently of Government, and it is for the commission to determine the arrangements for a millennium exhibition. The commission has selected the ideas and concepts for an exhibition submitted by Imagination Group Ltd., and announced on 28 February its preference for the event to be located on the Greenwich peninsula site. The commission has made it very clear that it intends that an exhibition would be funded by a combination of private sector funds alongside a commission grant. The commission has stated that it will need to be fully satisfied as to the firm commitment of the private sector support and viability of the whole project before a final grant decision will be taken. This work is currently in progress, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the details of private sector involvement while negotiations are taking place.
The commission is inviting Sir Peter Levene to examine the work completed to date and the work which Imagination, in conjunction with British Gas—the owners of the site—and English Partnerships, to develop the final details of the project to the point where private sector funding is committed.