§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the maximum additional revenues which will be required by the Millennium Commission in order to meet its liabilities in respect of the Dome. [131373]
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§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 18 July 2000]: We have contacted the Millennium Commission to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the £41.8 million operations and running costs of the Dome incurred in the nine months to 31 December 1999. [133138]
§ Janet Anderson[holding answer 27 July 2000]: We have contacted the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the(a) content editors and (b) godparents of each zone of the Millennium Dome; if he will list the members of the Creative Review Group and the dates on which the group met; and for what reasons each was selected. [133438]
§ Janet AndersonThe four Content Editors employed by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) were Martin Newman, Tania Watson, Tim Gardom and Ben Evans. In each case these were individuals who were recommended to NMEC by leading design companies, Board members and other advisers to NMEC.
On 21 October 1998, NMEC announced the expert advisers, "Godparents" who worked with NMEC and its zone designers and sponsors on the exhibit zones at that time. All of them are experts in their fields with experience of communicating ideas in medicine and science, entertainment, the arts, and the environment to wide audiences.
The Godparents werethe Lord Puttnam of Queensgate (Work and Learn); Floella Benjamin (Shared Ground); Sir Neil Cossons (Journey); Professor Richard Gregory CBE (Mind); Sir Michael Peckham and Professor Catherine Peckham (Body); The Hon Sara Morrison (Living Island); Professor Christopher Frayling (Faith); John Sorrell CBE (Self Portrait); Michael Jolly (Play); Simon Jenkins (Talk).
Each "Godparent" held regular meetings and reviews with the design teams working on the zones.
On 16 February 1998 NMEC announced the membership of its Creative Review Group, better known as "The Litmus Group". Each member had experience and expertise in a particular field of entertainment, art and design, visitor attractions, broadcasting and education.
Members met regularly to advise NMEC on the coherence, quality, entertainment and educational potential of design proposals.
The members were: Michael Grade CBE (Chairman); Ruth Mackenzie OBE; Floella Benjamin; Sir Neil Cossons; Mike Davies; Professor Christopher Frayling; Simon Jenkins; Michael Jolly; Lord Puttnam; Lord Rogers; and John Sorrell.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will announce the terms of disposal of the Dome. [133469]
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§ Janet AndersonI refer the right hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions gave my hon. Friends the Members for Gillingham (Mr. Clark) and for North-West Leicestershire (Mr. Taylor) on 27 July 2000,Official Report, columns 787–88W.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what liabilities have to be discharged from the proceeds of the sale of the Dome. [133468]
§ Janet AndersonThe liabilities to be discharged from the proceeds of the sale of the Dome are the costs of the Competition itself and 7.5 per cent. of the sales proceeds, which is due to British Gas.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the most recent estimate of cost of running the Dome until the end of 2000. [133467]
§ Janet AndersonThe New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has a lifetime budget of £758 million for the Dome at Greenwich and its associated national programme of events and activities. NMEC is confident that it will remain within that budget.