§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visitors there have been to the Millennium Dome. [129963]
§ Janet AndersonAttendance at the Dome to date totals 3.28 million, making it the most popular pay-to-visit attraction in the UK. Visitors figures are posted on the Dome website (www.dome2000.co.uk) monthly.
479W
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the total sums of(a) Lottery and (b) public money spent and pledged to the Dome project. [123983]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 5 June 2000]: A total of £538 million of National Lottery money has been granted to the project. No taxpayers' money has been invested in the Dome.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will publish the forecasts of cash shortfall at the Dome if visitor numbers are below the present estimate for the rest of the year; [123981]
(2) what forecasts he has made of the projected revenue and costs of the Millennium Dome. [124478]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 5 June 2000]: The New Millennium Experience Company's (NMEC) current business plan is based on 6 million revenue-generating visitors. Should visitor numbers fall below this level the business plan will need to be reviewed. Details of the business plan are commercially confidential. NMEC's most recent budget, contained within the business plan, is as follows:
Project Lifetime Expenditure
- Dome structure and associated infrastructure—£271.2 million
- Set-up costs, Staff, Accommodation, IT, Legal and Corporate Services—£55.4 million
- Commercial, Communications and Marketing—£42.7 million
- Exhibits and Attractions—£240.2 million
- Operations and Running costs in year of operation—£104.6 million
- National Programme; Projects (£37.3 million) and Programme Support (£9.9 million)—£47.2 million
Project Lifetime Income
- Millennium Commission Grant—£525 million
- Commercial Income—£86 million
- Sponsorship Income—£123 million (excludes sponsorship by Ford and BT who have designed, built and funded their zones)
- Legacy; Sale of Dome—£30.0 million (as budgeted prior to the Legacy competition commencing. Original 1997 budget provision of £15 million was on the basis that the Dome would remain on-site for one year only)
- Total budget is £758 million plus an additional £3 million granted by the Millennium Commission to enhance marketing of the Millennium Experience.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 21 June 2000,Official Report, column 232W, on the Millennium Dome, in what way the precise content of a winning bid for the Dome's legacy might affect the division of the proceeds between the New Millennium Experience Company and English Partnerships. [128004]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 27 June 2000]: The recommended decision on the division of proceeds will be taken by Ministers in my Department, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. In taking this decision Ministers will receive information and advice from the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), English Partnerships, the Millennium Commission, and officials in their respective Departments. This will include information about the nature of the preferred bid, 480W including the associated financial offer and the land and other assets required. Such information will be taken into account in deciding how the proceeds of the sale will be divided between NMEC and EP.