Millennium Dome (Hansard, 17 December 1998)

§ Mr. Dafis
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of those provisions in agreements with corporate sponsors of zones in the millennium dome concerning(a) the content of the zone being sponsored and (b) the management of the zone being sponsored. [64422]

§ Mr. Mandelson
The contractual agreements between the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) and individual sponsors are commercially confidential. However, in terms of content and management they provide for the NMEC to retain the right of control over design, content, access to and operation of the exhibit zones. This ensures that the integrity of the Millennium Experience as the focus for the nation's millennium celebrations can not be compromised.

§ Mr. Dafis
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the zones in the millennium dome for which armaments manufacturers would not be considered to be appropriate sponsors; [64395]
(2) if he will make provision for critics of corporate sponsors of zones in the millennium dome to have an opportunity to reply to claims made by the sponsors in cases where the sponsors are engaged in (a) the food industry, (b) the motor industry and (c) armaments manufacturing; [64396]
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(3) what discussions he has had with representatives of the Church of England concerning the inclusion of armaments manufacturers amongst the corporate sponsors of the millennium dome; and what was the outcome of those discussions. [64397]

§ Mr. Mandelson
The Millennium Experience at Greenwich and its associated national programme of events and activities is the responsibility of the New Millennium Experience Company. This includes the development of the exhibit zones within the Dome and the procurement of sponsorship. I have had no discussions with the Church of England about sponsorship of the exhibit zones within the Dome. Anyone who wishes to criticise, or indeed support, sponsors' involvement in the Millennium Experience is free to do so through a range of channels, including by asking Parliamentary Questions.

§ Mr. Ottaway
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many visitors to the Dome are expected to come from each region of the United Kingdom and each European Union country in each week in 2000; [60882]
(2) how many visitors to the Dome are expected to come from each London borough in each month in 2000. [60883]

§ Mr. Mandelson
[holding answer 27 November 1998]: This information is not available in the categories or format requested and it would not be practicable for the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to make visitor estimates in this manner. For example, visitors from each of the London boroughs will not necessarily be residents of those boroughs. They could include school parties or friends and relations staying with residents, or indeed, tourists staying in the different boroughs.