HC Deb 04 July 2000 vol 353 cc149-50W
Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what cost savings are planned for the rest of the year at the Dome. [123984]

Janet Anderson

[holding answer 5 June 2000]: NMEC is achieving £20 million cost savings over the project's remaining lifetime which will bring the project back to its original cash ceiling budget of £758 million. In addition, NMEC is continuing to focus on cost efficiency and cost savings and aims to deliver more.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the basis on which the estimated closure costs of the Dome have been calculated. [126872]

Janet Anderson

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: The closure costs of the Millennium Dome will be subject to the nature of the proposal from the winning bidder in the Legacy competition. Any non-planned closure costs would be determined by the nature and quantum of contractual liabilities at that point in time, including staff termination payments, supplier and contractor payments and legal bills.

Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of sponsorship payments due to the new Millennium Experience Company in respect of the Dome had been received on time by 31 May. [126649]

Janet Anderson

[holding answer 19 June 2000]: All sponsor contracts are individually tailored for each sponsorship, including phasing of sponsorship payments. At 31 May, all contractual sponsorship payments had been made. At that stage the contract with Boots was nearing finalisation and the company had paid amounts in advance of signature. The Boots contract has now been signed and all due payments have been made.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will estimate the cost of making admission to the Dome free from 1 July to the end of the year. [127485]

Janet Anderson

On the basis of ticket income foregone against the planned visitor volume, the cost of free entry from 1 July would be about £40 million.

Mr. Jon Owen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what type of information on ticket sales to the Millennium Dome has been released to the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport on a commercial-in-confidence basis which has not been made publicly available. [125529]

Mr. Chris Smith

No information on ticket sales has been made available to the Select Committee on a commercial-in-confidence basis which has not been made publicly available. Information on visitor figures is regularly posted on the Dome's website (www.Dome2000.co.uk).