Written question asked by Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 3 October 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 October 2008. It was answered by Iain Wright (Labour) on Monday, 6 October 2008 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Millennium Dome

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of the Millennium Dome to public funds (a) was in 2007-08 and (b) is expected to be in 2008-09; and how much the public purse received from the New Millennium Experience Company Limited in each year since the inception of the Dome.

Answer: English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, were responsible for the costs for staff and the maintenance and management of the millennium dome from July 2001 until the opening of the arena in June 2007. During the 2007-08 financial year the amount spent by English Partnerships was £205,000. English Partnerships handed over full responsibility for the dome (now the O2) to Anschutz Entertainment Group in June 2007, when the arena inside the former millennium dome was completed. No further costs were incurred by EP in 2008-09, therefore the amount spent from public funds in 2008-09 is nil.The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) was the company set up to run the millennium exhibition in the dome. Following the end of the exhibition, it was placed in voluntary, solvent liquidation in December 2001. The public purse did not receive any money from the New Millennium Experience Company Limited.However, because of the structure of the deal for the continued regeneration of the site, the Government expects a substantial return from the development of the land around the O2 and will also receive a share of the profits arising from the successful operation of the O2.

Secondary information