§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those individuals and companies who have expressed an interest in(a) purchasing and (b) leasing the Millennium Dome after the end of the Millennium Experience. [99321]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 24 November 1999]: The competition to find a sustainable use for the Dome beyond the Millennium Experience was launched in March of this year. It is being managed on behalf of the Government by English Partnerships (EP), the urban regeneration agency for England, in co-operation with the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), the operating company for the Millennium Experience.
Initially, more than 60 organisations responded and their ability to deliver a possible future use for the site was assessed before issuing the invitation to a long short-list of 12. Those 12 organisations were asked to submit outline ideas by the end of October. Nine responses were received and assessment of their proposals are under way. Details of the nine responses remain commercially confidential.
The Government hope to make an announcement on the final short-list early in the new year. A final decision on the successful bidder will be made in the summer of 2000.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish a list of those invited to attend the Millennium Dome on 31 December, other than those described as ordinary members of the public. [99336]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 30 November 1999]: I hope the hon. Member will understand that for reasons of security it is not possible to publish a list of those invited to attend.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture. Media and Sport what advice his Department is giving to the Millennium Experience Company on the disposal of the Millennium Dome after 31 December 2000. [100261]
§ Janet AndersonThe Competition for the future use of the Dome was launched in March 1999, and is being run on behalf of the Government by English Partnerships 325W (EP), the urban regeneration agency for England, in co-operation with the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC).
Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) are monitoring all stages of the competition and advise Ministers accordingly.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many accidents at work have been recorded so far during the construction and preparation of the Millennium Dome, broken down by quarter and by type of accident. [99337]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 1 December 1999]: Accidents reported by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) under the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR; SI 3165) are as follows and cover the period 1 August 1997 to 10 November 1999:
1997 1998 1999 1st Quarter Major Specified Injuries1 — 1 0 Three Day Reportable Injuries1 — 1 1 2nd Quarter Major Specified — 1 0 Three Day Reportable — 0 5 3rd Quarter Major Specified 0 0 2 Three Day Reportable 3 0 4 4th Quarter Major Specified 1 2 22 Three Day Reportable 0 1 24 1 As defined under RIDDOR (Major specified injuries include any break of bones except fingers or toes; three day reportable injuries are those where the injured person does not report for work for a three day period after the date of the accident) 2 To date Note:
There have been no fatalities on the site.
The accident frequency rate for the Dome site, which takes into account the number of injuries, the normal working life-span of employees and contractors and the number of hours worked, is below the national average established by the Health and Safety Executive. NMEC has provided Safety Induction Training for over 13,000 employees, contractors and sub-contractors. For a construction and work programme of the size and complexity of the Dome the RIDDOR figures reflect a laudable safety record.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will break down the construction costs of each zone within the Millennium Dome. [99338]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 1 December 1999]: The New Millennium Experience Company considers the construction costs of each zone to be commercially sensitive. Release of the information could prejudice the company's ability to obtain optimum value for money from the range of procurements applicable to each zone, and potentially its relationship with contractors. The Shareholder of NMEC supports this view as do I.
326W
§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals for the content of the Millennium Experience were received by ministers and the New Millennium Experience Company from the National Book Committee; and what response was given. [98824]
§ Janet AndersonClive Bradley of the National Book Committee wrote to the Minister without Portfolio on 27 March 1998 with proposals for how the importance of the written English language might be reflected in the Millennium Experience, and suggesting some authors who might play a role. The Minister passed the letter to NMEC for their consideration and asked Mr. Bradley to keep him informed of developments. No further correspondence can be traced.
Mr. Bradley also wrote to Jennie Page, NMEC Chief Executive, about the role of the book sector in millennium activities, and included proposals prepared by the Children's Book Group of Publishers Association linked to the theme and content of certain zones in the Dome. Ms Page explained that it was unlikely that the proposals would be taken forward in the precise format outlined, but that they would be fed into the creative process by those in the company with day-to-day editorial control of the relevant zones. Ms Page said that she was interested in exploring the future of books as part of the focus on literacy in the Learning zone and also the function of books as a tool to help us expand our minds in the Mind zone. She said that she would welcome any further views the National Book Committee might have on these issues and asked that they be addressed to the named zone editor who would coordinate NMEC's response. NMEC are unable to trace any further correspondence.