Millennium Experience (Sponsorship)

HC Deb 16 February 2000 vol 344 cc547-8W

Mr. Spring

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will list the Millennium Experience zones for which final sponsorship arrangements remain outstanding; [106407]

(2) if he will list the (a) zones and (b) corporate sponsors of the Millennium Experience for which agreed sponsorship moneys remain outstanding. [106207]

Janet Anderson

[holding answer 27 January 2000]: The target for the New Millennium Experience Company was to raise £150 million of sponsorship value towards its overall income requirement of £758 million. While the company's approach to sponsorship focused on individual exhibit zones, other forms of sponsorship—for example Official Supplier status—were also pursued and achieved. Consequently, once the £150 million was delivered, the company could remain within its £758 million cash-limited budget and deliver the Millennium Experience as planned, even if some exhibit zones were without sponsorship support. Sponsorship support has been achieved for the Work, Learning, Talk, Journey, Body, Shared Ground, Self Portrait, Home Planet, Money and Mind zones. Sponsorship support has also been achieved for Our Town Stage and donations have been received for the Faith zone.

In addition, sponsorship has been achieved for Skyscape and the Greenwich Pavilion, which are integral parts of the Millennium Experience but outside the Dome. Exhibit zones without sponsorship support, but delivered within the cash-limited budget, are Play, Rest, Timekeepers, Living Island and the Millennium Show in the Central Arena.

Those sponsors who have signed contracts with NMEC have paid, and are paying, sponsorship moneys according to the terms of their contracts. The three contracts, outstanding as at 10 February and detailed in my answer to the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) on 14 February 2000, Official Report, column 442W, are being taken forward urgently by NMEC and moneys due under their terms will be paid accordingly. The actual amounts are subject to confidentiality provisions applicable to both parties.