HC Deb 05 May 1998 vol 311 cc304-7W
Mr. McWalter

To ask the Minister without Portfolio what plans he has to incorporate within the Millennium Dome testimony to Britain's philosophical tradition. [40102]

Mr. Mandelson

[holding answer 29 April 1998]: The New Millennium Experience Company aims to reflect the great wealth of British tradition which exists across many disciplines, including philosophy.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will estimate the space in the Millennium Dome which will be devoted to(a) video and computer games, (b) live cultural events, (c) the display of works of art and (d) Christianity. [38445]

Mr. Mandelson

It is not possible to measure the physical space which will be occupied by each of the specific categories listed by my hon. Friend. Some will feature throughout the Experience, while others may be located primarily within an individual area.

Mr. Baker

To ask the Minister without Portfolio (1) what steps he is taking to ensure the proposed car park at the Millennium Dome is not used by commuters wishing to use the proposed underground station nearby; [38715]

(2) in respect of the car park at the Millennium Dome, how many spaces there will be for (a) orange badge holders, (b) VIPs and (c) others; and what charges will be payable in each case. [38713]

Mr. Mandelson

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) aims to keep to an absolute minimum arrival at the site by car. The principal purpose of the car park is to meet the needs of orange badge holders.

In pursuing detailed planned permission with Greenwich Council, the NMEC have proposed an indicative allocation of 385 spaces for orange badge holders, 247 for VIPs, and 298 short stay spaces for cars dropping off visitors at the Experience or at the bus and underground station. These indicative allocations allow the NMEC flexibility to increase spaces for orange badge holders as necessary.

Parking will be free of charge for orange badge holders, VIPs and London Underground employees. Those waiting to collect visitors will pay a charge for a short stay which will increase significantly if the vehicle stays for longer than its allotted time.

To ensure that these parking provisions are not used by commuters, there will be a pre-booking arrangement for spaces and readily identifiable passes which will be checked on entry.

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Minister without Portfolio what steps he has taken to provide opportunities for the demonstration of British environmental technologies and expertise at the Millennium Experience Dome at Greenwich; and what discussions he has had with other Ministers on such matters. [38729]

Mr. Mandelson

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) aims to include a range of features on the Dome site which demonstrate potential applications of environmental technology. The exhibit currently entitled "Living Island" will explore ways in which individuals can protect and enhance their environment. NMEC is consulting and seeking advice from a number of environmental groups about the content and nature of this exhibit, and is in regular touch with DTI and DETR on science and technology and environmental matters. The Millennium Experience will also feature a number of state of the art products and services from the Millennium products award scheme run by the Design Council.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio what proportion of visitors to the Millennium Experience site he estimates will arrive via(a) London Underground, (b) private bus, (c) train and public bus, (d) bicycle, (e) the Docklands Light Railway and (f) park and ride. [39329]

Mr. Mandelson

The New Millennium Experience Company's estimates of the split between various modes of transport used by visitors to the Dome in Greenwich is:

Main mode Final leg Percentage
Tube or rail1 JLE 36
Tube or rail Cable car 2
Car (park and ride)2 JLE/Cable Car/Rail Shuttle Coach/Riverboat 28
Coach 13
Riverboat 8
Taxi/set-down 4
Bus 4
Rail (North Kent line) 3
Walk/Cycle 1
Car (disabled) 1
Total 100
1rail includes DLR
2breakdown by mode will depend on the outcome of the park and ride review

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio when advance bookings to the Millennium Experience may be made; and if advance bookings will receive a discount. [39325]

Mr. Mandelson

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) plans to put individual tickets for Millennium Experience on sale from the third quarter of 1999. Arrangements for earlier ticket sales through the travel and tourist trade are being developed in order to meet the trade's lead-time for marketing and promoting their packages. Final decisions on ticket pricing, across a range of options, including groups and age ranges, will be announced in due course.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio how many additional parking places to those currently planned he estimates will be required for park and ride visitors to the Millennium Experience. [39324]

Mr. Mandelson

None.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio how many trains per hour he estimates the(a) Jubilee Line and (b) Docklands Light Railway will run to the Millennium Experience. [39323]

Mr. Mandelson

London Underground Ltd. plan to run twenty four trains per hour in each direction through the new Jubilee Line station for the Millennium Experience. The Docklands Light Railway Ltd. plans to run up to fifteen trains per hour in each direction on both the Beckton extension and the new Lewisham extension.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio by what means the Millennium Dome will be cleared at the end of each session. [39322]

Mr. Mandelson

In developing its policies and strategies for the Dome's content and for managing visitor access and flows, the New Millennium Experience Company will ensure that access to all exhibits and facilities can be safely and effectively controlled, drawing on best practice at other large scale visitor attractions. This will include stopping access at an appropriate time prior to the designated closing time.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio who will be responsible for security on the Millennium Experience site. [39321]

Mr. Mandelson

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has direct responsibility for security. No final decisions have been taken at this stage about which organisations the Company will procure services from in order to deliver security at the Dome. In reaching its final decisions NMEC will liaise closely with the police and other statutory bodies.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister without Portfolio if railway companies will be able to offer inclusive tickets to cover rail fares via London Transport to the Millennium Experience and the entry fee. [39318]

Mr. Mandelson

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) plans to make Millennium Experience tickets available through all Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) members for them to sell to their customers at the same time as travel tickets. The NMEC will also meet requests from train operators for allocation of tickets to enable additional special train services.