§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those contracts 139W entered into by the New Millennium Experience Company which (a) did and (b) did not comply with public procurement procedures. [134493]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 26 October 2000]: No. That information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Since February 1997, the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has entered into contracts with about 4,500 suppliers, contractors and service providers. Furthermore, NMEC is a public corporation for which compliance with formal public procurement procedures, that derive from EC law, is in principle voluntary. In practice, however, the company has chosen to comply with those EC rules, where they would otherwise apply, in seeking value for money in accordance with the Government's procurement guidelines.