Examination of Witnesses (Questions 340
- 359)
WEDNESDAY 12 JULY 2000
LORD FALCONER
OF THOROTON,
MR BRIAN
LEONARD AND
MS CLARE
PILLMAN OBE
340. So you are happy that, for instance, Jennie
Page and Mr Ayling have taken the blame for the failures?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) I would not say for one
moment they have taken the blame for failures, nor should they
take the blame for failures. Jennie Page's contribution was second
to none. She delivered the Dome on 31 December and I think there
is practically nobody else in the country who could have achieved
that. What happened in relation to Jennie Page was that, having
delivered a big construction project like that, different skills
were then required to run a visitor attraction. What you need
to run a visitor attraction is somebody with experience in relation
to that. As far as Bob Ayling is concerned, he also made a very
substantial contribution. He was chairman right from the outset
without any sort of financial reward whatsoever, and he kept the
thing together through very difficult times. The moment there
was a suggestion that the Millennium Commission would like a change
of chairman, Mr Ayling decided in the best interests of the Dome
he would resign, and he always put the interests of the Dome first.
341. Am I right in saying that changes in the
board of the NMEC, including the chairman, are ultimately matters
for the shareholder?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) Exactly. They are, yes.
342. So what was your involvement in Mr Ayling's
removal?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) Mr Ayling, having heard
that the Millennium Commission were concerned about his role as
chairman, immediately resigned. He indicated to me that if he
thought there was any difficulty he was causing in relation to
the Dome he would go and, having regard to the interests of the
Dome, I accepted his resignation.
343. You said earlier on in response to other
questions that you are not able to run a visitor attraction and
you said you make no attempt to interfere in the running of the
Dome but in the run-up to the opening of the Dome and the months
preceding you were a very hands-on figure, and very involved in
preparing for the opening.
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) Well, I was keeping informed
as to what was going on.
344. Did you attend board meetings?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) I attended board meetings,
yes.
345. And you held regular meetings with members
of the board on a Monday morning, as I understand it?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) I would see the chairman
and Mr Michael Grade on a Monday morning.
346. And Mr Chisholm and Mr Freud?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) Sometimes Mr Chisholm,
yes.
347. And Mr Matthew Freud?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) I do not recall. I have
met him from time to time; I did not see him on Monday mornings.
348. He did not attend your meetings on Monday
morning?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) He did not attend my meetings
on Monday morning, no.
349. Did Jennie Page?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) No. I would see Jennie
Page on Tuesday mornings.
350. So what were you talking about with these
other members of the board that you could not discuss with Jennie
Page?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) I could discuss all the
things I discussed with the members of the board with Jennie Page.
It was a completely transparent process.
351. Would it not have been easier if she just
attended the meetings?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) We all agreed that was
the most sensible way of dealing with it. It was a way of making
sure that one knew what was going on. Particularly as one got
closer to 31 December one was reaching a critical point in relation
to the history of the Dome.
352. Can you give us a bit of a flavour of what
was discussed at those meetings?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) As we got to 31 December,
there were issues about how the various Zones were getting on,
how the discussions with sponsors were getting on, what publicity
material was being used and also the detailed arrangements for
what the show would consist of but it was on the basis of it being
reported to me what was going on.
353. Could we move on now to the Zones in particular
and to the money that has been spent on the Dome and the way in
which the Zones were designed? First of all, you have probably
read Mr Quarmby's evidence from two weeks ago when I asked him
about the way in which the content of the Zones was undertaken
and I referred to a radio interview given by Mr Ben Evans on Radio
4. Mr Quarmby clearly felt Mr Evans was perhaps playing a little
bit above himself when he said how important he had been. What
was your understanding of his importance in the design of the
Dome?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) Mr Evans was one of the
content editors.
354. How many were there?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) There were three.
355. So quite an important job then?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) Yes. It was a job of significance.
He had been appointed to that job by Jennie Page—
356. With what qualifications to manage £758
million?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) He had been a lecturer
at the Royal College of Art; he had been trained in that—
357. I am sorry. You are saying that, having
been a lecturer at the Royal College of Art, he was felt suitable
to be the gateway to designers for a £758 million project?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) It is very difficult to
know who are the right people to take on to do a job which, in
effect, is a co-ordinated role. There was a very large number
of people involved in the design of the Zones and the interior
of the Dome—people like Zaha Hadid, Eva Jiricna, Branson
Coates, Gary Withers—
358. They were the designers?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) They were the designers,
that is right.
359. They had come to him with their designs?
(Lord Falconer of Thoroton) When there is a project
like the Dome going on there have to be people within the organisation
who have some experience of design matters who then deal with
designs.
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