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Thursday, November 13, 1997 Published at 17:46 GMT
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From London
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More than 200 million pounds worth of grants have been announced to go towards projects in Britain which will commemorate the new millennium. They include developments which range from the completion of a 16th century cathedral, to the provision of more public drinking fountains. They are the last in a series of grants to millennium projects, totalling more than £1,600 million. The scheme has aroused a degree of controversy, as our British Affairs correspondent Jon Leyne reports:

"Britain is going on a huge spending spree to mark the new millennium. The money is coming from the immensely profitable national lottery. But each of the projects selected for a grant will have to find at least half of the cost themselves. Among the latest ideas to win approval is a scheme to refurbish the ancient baths that give the name to the city of Bath. The Spa has been out of action since 1978. And a futuristic new footbridge is to be built across the Thames in London, connecting St Paul's Cathedral with the Bankside power station -- which is already getting money for transformation into an art gallery. It's already been revealed that a number of the projects will not actually be completed by January 1st 2000. But the most controversy concerns a grant of £400 million towards a giant dome at Greenwich in south east London. Critics have questioned whether it is worth spending so much money on what will only be a temporary exhibition. And it's still not clear exactly what will be inside the Dome.

But the project has the strong support of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. He's said that in the year 2000 the eyes of the world will be on Britain. He believes this is Britain's chance to demonstrate that it can do things bigger and better than anyone else."


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