| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
New Millennium Experience Company
16. Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the management of the New Millennium Experience Company. [110613]
Janet Anderson: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), which has responsibility for running the Millennium Experience; the Dome and the associated National Programme, considers that the management team now in place has the right experience and expertise to deliver the project successfully.
18. Mr. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the Millennium Commission's recent loan to the New Millennium Experience Company. [110615]
Mr. Chris Smith: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 6.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people were employed by the New Millennium Experience Company on (a) 31 December 1999 and (b) 31 January 2000. [110965]
Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 21 February 2000]: On both 31 December 1999 and 31 January 2000, the New Millennium Experience Company employed 2,077 people.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from employees of the New Millennium Experience Company in respect of (a) the replacement of the Chief Executive and (b) the timing of overtime payments due. [109912]
Janet Anderson [holding answer 11 February 2000]: None.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set out the terms under which Pierre-Yves Gerbeau has been employed as Chief Executive of the Dome, including the targets which have to be met for M. Gerbeau to qualify for bonus payments, and place a copy of his contract in the Library. [109958]
28 Feb 2000 : Column: 90W
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 14 February 2000]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) employed Pierre-Yves Gerbeau with effect from 7 February on a total salary of £100,000 plus 15 per cent. in lieu of pension. In addition, he is eligible, at the sole discretion of the Board, to a performance bonus of up to £100,000. His detailed performance targets are a matter for the Board of NMEC but the key target is to deliver the project over its lifetime within the £758 million cash limited budget. It is not NMEC's policy to publish contract documents between the company and its employees; to do so would breach employee and employer confidentiality.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to introduce (a) a reduced two day and (b) a weekend entrance fee for the Millennium Experience. [106981]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 27 January 2000]: The ticket pricing structure is a matter for the New Millennium Experience Company which, under the terms of its Lottery grant from the Millennium Commission, must consult and obtain the agreement of the Commission to any in-year changes in ticket pricing.
Mr. Marshall-Andrews:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will provide details of (a) advances, (b) loans and (c) grants agreed to be made to the New Millennium Experience Company from the Millennium Commission since 1 January, and of provisions for (i) their repayment and (ii) the security provided for them. [110435]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 17 February 2000]: The Millennium Commission has approved an additional grant of up to £60 million to assist the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) with its cashflow. The precise amount of additional grant payable up to that maximum will have to be demonstrated by NMEC, to the Millennium Commission's satisfaction, on the basis of need--so far, £32 million has been released by the Commission. As with the original grant of £449 million (gross), this additional grant is repayable from any operating or disposal surplus.
Mr. Marshall-Andrews:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the contractual liabilities are of sponsors of the New Millennium Experience Company; and whether such sponsors have given undertakings enforceable at law to provide, in cash or kind, the amounts pledged. [110463]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 17 February 2000]: Each of the contracts between the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) and the Millennium Experience sponsors is unique. The contractual obligations of the sponsors to NMEC cover a range of areas depending on the specific circumstances of the sponsorship agreement, for example the provision of cash, value in kind, discounted products and services and marketing support. Where sponsors have signed agreements with NMEC (as is the case with the majority of sponsors), these obligations are contractually enforceable.
Mr. Marshall-Andrews:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what amount of sponsorship funds has been provided to date to the New Millennium
28 Feb 2000 : Column: 91W
Experience Company; and what (a) proportion and (b) amount of such funds has been provided in (i) cash and (ii) kind. [110442]
Janet Anderson
[holding answer 17 February 2000]: Details of sponsorship income will be included in the New Millennium Experience Company's audited Annual Report and Financial Statements. Those for the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 1999 will be published in June 2000.
17. Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the total amount of lottery prizes unclaimed in the past 12 months; and what was the highest individual unclaimed prize. [110614]
Mr. Chris Smith:
In the 12 months to the end of January 2000, the total value of unclaimed prizes paid to the good causes was £69,649,609; the largest unclaimed prize in this period was £1,234,612.
19. Mr. Hopkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to increase support for jazz. [110616]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
It is important that the arts funding system should reflect the full diversity of musical genres including jazz. Under the arm's length principle, however, decisions on funding for individual art forms and organisations are for the Arts Council of England or the 10 English regional arts boards.
20. Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what benefit he expects to secure for the public from the new funding agreements with the Arts Council of England. [110617]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The Funding Agreement with the Arts Council of England enables the Department to ensure that grant in aid is spent in accordance with the Government's goals for the arts. Under the arms length principle, the Department do not interfere in funding decisions for individual art forms and organisations.
23. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what benefit he expects to secure for the public from the new funding agreement with the heritage lottery fund. [110620]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The Heritage Lottery Fund is not subject to a funding agreement since it does not receive money voted by Parliament.
25. Mr. Savidge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many families in Aberdeen will benefit from the introduction of free television licences for households with a member aged 75 years or over. [110622]
28 Feb 2000 : Column: 92W
Mr. Chris Smith:
This information is not available. 1991 Census information is out of date and no household survey has a sample size sufficient to make reliable estimates of qualifying households at a constituency or local authority level.
Mr. Sarwar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will make a statement on the procedure for people over 75 to receive a free television licence; [111095]
Janet Anderson:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 21 February 2000 that free television licences for people aged 75 or over will come into effect from 1 November this year. The main details of the scheme, which will be administered by TV Licensing as agent for the BBC, have also been via a news release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Further details will be published by TV Licensing, who will also write to all households in good time before 1 November, with an application form to be completed and returned if a member of the household is 75 or over. The BBC have indicated that appropriate arrangements will be included for claimants who are housebound.
(2) if he will ensure that arrangements put in place for providing free television licences to pensioners aged over 75 years take account of the needs of housebound pensioners; [111514]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |