§ Viscount Exmouth
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which sponsors have so far made commitments to contribute to the costs of the Millennium Dome.
§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
The right honourable Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) chaired a meeting of potential sponsors in June 1996 and laid the foundations for establishing significant private sector interest. That interest is being intensively followed up. Public commitments have been made by British Airways, British Telecom and the Corporation of London.
The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) and IMG are now in the process of detailed and sensitive negotiations with a range of other national and international companies. These discussions have been given added impetus following the NMEC's announcement, in early December 1997, that 11 designers are under contract to develop further the Millennium Experience's content. The NMEC and IMG can now consider with potential sponsors how particular aspects of content can be shaped to meet their commercial requirements whilst at the same time ensuring the integrity of the Experience.