January 5, 2000
Web posted at: 4:26 p.m. EST (2126 GMT)

LONDON (CNN) -- Opening-night delays and complaints of long lines at Britain's Millennium Dome have led members of Parliament to launch an investigation.

The House of Commons select committee on media, culture and sport plans to question senior Dome staff on lines, transportation hitches and problems with the New Year's Eve opening ceremonies.

Committee member Julie Kirkbride, allied with the Conservative opposition, said that if media reports prove true, she thinks the director of the company that runs the Dome should consider forgoing her bonuses.

Queen Elizabeth's New Year's Eve visit to the Dome went smoothly, but some guests were less fortunate.

Jennie Page, chief executive of the New Millennium Experience Company, risks losing at least some of her 200,000-pound ($327,200) performance-related bonus if her board decides she was responsible for the Dome's early problems.

But Page defended the attraction Wednesday.

"You can't please everybody, not everybody will always have an absolutely perfect experience wherever they go," Page said.

"But our experience to date is that the Dome is working extraordinarily well and we will of course, after four days' experience, be fine-tuning it to make it even better and improve the experience for everybody."

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Some visitors reported standing in line for up to two hours for the "Body Zone" exhibition on Monday before being ushered through by staff in less than 10 minutes. The "Body Zone" is one of 14 themed exhibition areas that explore the human experience. Other zones delve into faith, money and the mind.

The Dome has been controversial from the beginning because of its 758-million-pound (US $1.25 billion) cost and its planned one-year life span. Its opening night didn't do much to stem the tide of criticism, as the company failed to mail 3,000 tickets in time for the New Year's Eve opening ceremonies.

Those who didn't get their entry passes on time spent hours waiting for them in line at a chilly railway station that night, then had to pass through security checks. Many reached the Dome more than an hour later than planned.

The ruling Labour government's Dome spokesman, Lord Falconer, has made a public apology for the delays.

An estimated 12 million guests are expected to visit the Dome in 2000. Dome officials say more than a million tickets have been sold so far, at prices ranging from 16.50 pounds to 20 pounds ($26-$32).

Reuters contributed to this report.

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