§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times he has met Robert Bourne of Legacy plc(a) this year and (b) in previous years. [140717]
§ Mr. PrescottI have met Robert Bourne on a number of occasions this year as part of the competition process for selling the Millennium Dome. I have not met him on any other occasion.
780W
§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if the fee agreement with Lazard for the sale of the Millennium Dome is contingent on success; [140716]
(2) what fees will be due to Lazards in the event of a successful sale of the Millennium Dome. [140715]
§ Mr. PrescottThe involvement of Lazard in the process for selling the Millennium Dome has concluded with the award of preferred bidder status to Legacy plc. The fees payable to Lazard were not dependent on either Legacy plc reaching preferred bidder status or an eventual successful sale of the Dome.
§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of negotiating and finalising the sale of the Millennium Dome, broken down by fees paid to(a) merchant banks, (b) lawyers, (c) accountants and (d) other advisers. [140720]
§ Mr. PrescottThe breakdown of costs requested is commercially confidential, in order not to compromise future Government negotiations with professional firms about the provision of advice. The costs arising in all the categories listed will be met from within the budget for the Dome legacy competition. This is held by English Partnerships, and currently stands at £6.9 million.