§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has for the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre. [7725]
§ Dr. WhiteheadMy Department has undertaken a review of the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, which has been an Executive Agency since 1989. The review considered all the organisational aspects for the agency, taking into account its role and past performance, its fit with wider objectives, and the relationship with other bodies in the public and private sectors. Staff and trade unions have been consulted as part of the review.
The key findings of the review were:
There have been substantial improvements in the centre's performance over the last 5 years, with a 30 per cent. increase in turnover. Current performance is considered to be near the optimum for conference use.Most of the centre's business derives from the private sector and associations.The centre is seen as an important London facility, attracting considerable business tourism.The review does not recommend contracting out or privatisation, which it considers may be difficult to implement, and would be poor value for money. It also concluded that any market interest in the site is likely to relate to redevelopment for uses other than a conference centre.
In the light of the review findings, I have decided that the public sector status and role of the QEII conference centre should not be changed. I have, however, asked 891W officials, over the longer term, to keep under review options for ownership of the QEIICC within the public sector.
A summary of the review findings is being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.