A "Baby Dome", intended to house audiences of 6,000 at live performances, is the latest novelty proposed for the Millennium Dome being built in Greenwich, London.

Peter Mandelson, the Minister without Portfolio, revealed the new addition in an interview on BBC 1's Breakfast with Frost current affairs programme.

"One thing that we are very keen on doing ... is not only to have the Millennium Dome, but to have Baby Dome outside," Mr Mandelson said.

Baby Dome, whose construction costs are accounted for within the main budget, will be shaped like the larger version and will sit adjacent to it on the Greenwich site.

Not every Baby is loved

However, opposition to Baby Dome has already started mounting.

There is anger among Tories that information about the Millennium Experience is being leaked out through the media rather than announced first to Parliament.

"We went in for a private briefing on the Dome on Tuesday, but no mention was made then of a Baby Dome," said shadow Culture Secretary, Francis Maude.

Mr Maude is planning to take issue with what is already being described as "the son of white elephant" in the Commons next week.

Baby's bottom line

The construction site in Docklands, East London

Reacting to news of the precocious Baby, Labour's Lindsay Hoyle, the MP for Chorley, said it would cause terrible traffic problems in the Greenwich area.

"If we are to have a Baby Dome at all, I would have thought it could have been in the north west of England to attract tourists and more importantly to create much needed jobs," he added.

Sir Teddy Taylor, Conservative MP for Southend East and Rochford, said: "I would like to know who is going to pay for the baby, and whether it will get child benefit from the National Lottery.

"Most people would like to scrap the whole idea - and perhaps we shall yet see Mr Mandelson throwing the baby out with the bath water," he said.

Rocking the Baby

The mini-venue will stage performances and live acts just next to the bigger Dome, over the year that the �750m exhibition is on.

Will the sun set on Baby?

During the day, while the big Dome is open, performances will be open to ticket holders for the main exhibition at no extra cost.

In the evenings, when the main exhibition is closed, the smaller Dome would be a venue for major bands and artistes - "everything from steel bands to church choirs" - a source close to Mr Mandelson said.

Fund-raising events are also planned.

Millennium update for Stansted

Stansted Airport is to be re-named the Millenium Gateway to mark the year 2000.

The owners hope it will become the official terminal for overseas visitors to the Dome in Greenwich, and are planning to lay on extra charter flights for people visiting the exhibition

The British Airport Authority has pledged �3m to sponsor a project in the Dome.