'I did not have relationships with that sale'
John Prescott insists he had '...no part in the dome sale...', according to the Andrew Marr Interview on Sunday 23 July 2006. The transcript is here: BBC Sunday AM
He also says in response to being pressed by Andrew Marr 'Yeah, and then indeed ... Yes, Charlie took charge of that and sold it, right - Charlie Falconer. He sold it, he was responsible for it, and I had no responsibility for the sale or indeed of the planning decision.'
Yet this is not what the National Audit Office report says. In a table of persons/organisations involved and their responsibilities in the sale of the dome it lists (see p.42)
Organistion:
Cross departmental group (Chair: Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for the Dome from Cabinet Office, Ministers from: DCMS, DETR, HM Treasury) set up for the Sale of the Dome.
with responsibilities:
First Competition:
Received advice from the Sale team, and other bodies involved. It made the final decisions in relation to the selection of bidders based on advice from English Partnerships and New Millennium Experience Company.
Second Sale Process:
Received advice from the Sale team, and other bodies involved. It made the final decisions in relation to the selection of bidders based on advice from English Partnerships.
Notes:
The 'First Competition' refers to the failed sale to Legacy plc who lost preferred bidder status on the dome on 15/02/2001;
The 'Second Sale Process' refers to a series of contracts between English Partnerships and Meridian Delta Ltd and the Anschutz Entertainment Group which finally became unconditional on 18th June 2004.
The NAO report would seem to imply that although John Prescott was not minister for the dome, he chaired the cross departmental group responsible for the Sale of the Dome. Besides these deals did not fully complete until 18th June 2004.
The only other 'Google' reference to the existense of a cabinet sub-committe is here which says referring to the Legacy bid on 01/02/2001:
'The Cabinet Office refused to comment about yesterday's meeting, but it is understood that a Cabinet sub-committee including John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, Lord Falconer, and junior environment and culture ministers are due to meet to discuss the deal as early as today.'
In support of his meetings with Philip Anschutz Prescott says:
'...which meant 10,000 new homes, 24,000 jobs and £5 billion of private investment. I am quite prepared to meet people who provide jobs and investment of that kind, and it was quite right' (hansard)
Just who is providing these homes, jobs and £5 billion of private investment? - the reality is the bulk comes from Meridian Delta Limited (AEG's investment is £350 million or £600 million dependent on a casino or not as the case may be?)
In this case the question to the DPM should be how many time did he meet with executives of Meridian Delta and/or it's shereholders Lend Lease and Quintain Estatesand Developement plc?
Tucked away in the Audit Comissions report is also an admission that AEG's investment may struggle to make commercial sense without 'additional Dome-related income streams':
Before concluding their agreement English Partnerships asked their financial advisers Deloitte and Touche to review the viability of Anschutz Entertainment’s business plan for the Dome. The advisers concluded that income earned from within the Arena alone would not generate a fully commercial return. The rate of return on investment would be unlikely to be more than four per cent, and could be negative if assumptions over income from sponsorship and corporate hospitality proved to be overly optimistic in the UK market.
This provides the commercial backdrop for the meetings between AEG and the DPM. AEG knew they needed a better deal and John Prescott for his part seemed at least willing to listen.
Maybe John Prescott takes a similar view to Bill Clinton, but if the Audit Commision's report is correct 'he did have relationships with that sale'.
Update 30th July 2006: Police are considering charges against John Prescott for alledged corruption over his stay with Philip Anschutz.
He also says in response to being pressed by Andrew Marr 'Yeah, and then indeed ... Yes, Charlie took charge of that and sold it, right - Charlie Falconer. He sold it, he was responsible for it, and I had no responsibility for the sale or indeed of the planning decision.'
Yet this is not what the National Audit Office report says. In a table of persons/organisations involved and their responsibilities in the sale of the dome it lists (see p.42)
Organistion:
Cross departmental group (Chair: Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for the Dome from Cabinet Office, Ministers from: DCMS, DETR, HM Treasury) set up for the Sale of the Dome.
with responsibilities:
First Competition:
Received advice from the Sale team, and other bodies involved. It made the final decisions in relation to the selection of bidders based on advice from English Partnerships and New Millennium Experience Company.
Second Sale Process:
Received advice from the Sale team, and other bodies involved. It made the final decisions in relation to the selection of bidders based on advice from English Partnerships.
Notes:
The 'First Competition' refers to the failed sale to Legacy plc who lost preferred bidder status on the dome on 15/02/2001;
The 'Second Sale Process' refers to a series of contracts between English Partnerships and Meridian Delta Ltd and the Anschutz Entertainment Group which finally became unconditional on 18th June 2004.
The NAO report would seem to imply that although John Prescott was not minister for the dome, he chaired the cross departmental group responsible for the Sale of the Dome. Besides these deals did not fully complete until 18th June 2004.
The only other 'Google' reference to the existense of a cabinet sub-committe is here which says referring to the Legacy bid on 01/02/2001:
'The Cabinet Office refused to comment about yesterday's meeting, but it is understood that a Cabinet sub-committee including John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, Lord Falconer, and junior environment and culture ministers are due to meet to discuss the deal as early as today.'
In support of his meetings with Philip Anschutz Prescott says:
'...which meant 10,000 new homes, 24,000 jobs and £5 billion of private investment. I am quite prepared to meet people who provide jobs and investment of that kind, and it was quite right' (hansard)
Just who is providing these homes, jobs and £5 billion of private investment? - the reality is the bulk comes from Meridian Delta Limited (AEG's investment is £350 million or £600 million dependent on a casino or not as the case may be?)
In this case the question to the DPM should be how many time did he meet with executives of Meridian Delta and/or it's shereholders Lend Lease and Quintain Estatesand Developement plc?
Tucked away in the Audit Comissions report is also an admission that AEG's investment may struggle to make commercial sense without 'additional Dome-related income streams':
Before concluding their agreement English Partnerships asked their financial advisers Deloitte and Touche to review the viability of Anschutz Entertainment’s business plan for the Dome. The advisers concluded that income earned from within the Arena alone would not generate a fully commercial return. The rate of return on investment would be unlikely to be more than four per cent, and could be negative if assumptions over income from sponsorship and corporate hospitality proved to be overly optimistic in the UK market.
This provides the commercial backdrop for the meetings between AEG and the DPM. AEG knew they needed a better deal and John Prescott for his part seemed at least willing to listen.
Maybe John Prescott takes a similar view to Bill Clinton, but if the Audit Commision's report is correct 'he did have relationships with that sale'.
Update 30th July 2006: Police are considering charges against John Prescott for alledged corruption over his stay with Philip Anschutz.
posted by gunslinger at 3:56 PM
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