British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the staff of No. 10 used the White House-style press briefing room to watch the new James Bond film, called "No Time to Die".
“The prime minister met with Pinewood Studios, Universal Pictures, Eon Productions and the BFI to congratulate them on the success of the latest James Bond instalment – a testament to the talent of the British creative industry," a No. 10 spokesperson said.
He added that the screening took place after work hours on Thursday and No. 10 employees present had made voluntary donations that went to Sarcoma UK. All installation costs were reportedly met by the companies involved.
In March, the PA Media news agency revealed, through a Freedom of Information Act request, that refurbishments to the former courtroom in No. 9 had cost the taxpayer £2.6 mln (more than $3.5 mln).
It was planned that the room would be used for daily televised media conferences. The Labour Party criticised the refurbishment as a "pointless vanity project" and suggested that the money should have been given to NHS workers carrying the burden of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the room has been used mainly for national coronavirus briefings.