HC Deb 18 December 2003 vol 415 cc1050-1W
Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding allocations have been made by each of the regional development agencies for the promotion of(a) tourism and (b) the arts in (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05; and if she will make a statement. [144671]

Jacqui Smith

I am advised that the following sums have been allocated by England's Regional Development Agencies from their single programme budgets to the promotion of tourism and the arts in the specified years. However, the figures should be treated as estimates because there is no generally accepted definition of the arts and because they will not include projects funded by the RDAs, such as regeneration activity, where tourism or arts are fundamental to the project but are not the main consideration. Furthermore, as the RDAs do not have a specific responsibility to promote the arts, some RDAs do not record spend against a dedicated budget heading. Proposals for RDA funding to promote tourism and the arts are considered against the priorities set out in the region's Regional Economic Strategy.

Estimate of funds allocated to the promotion of tourism (£ million)
2003–04 2004–05
AWM 5.80 6.33
EEDA 2.50 3.29
EMDA 11.55 12.43
LDA 219.44 320.65
NWDA 2.00 2.00
ONE 8.42 13.17
SEEDA 1.20 1.20
SWRDA 14.00 14.00
YF 4.02 1.32
1EMDA spend on the promotion of tourism and the arts is recorded against a single budget heading.
2LDA Single Programme and £15 million allocated to London's Tourism Recovery Plan and £1.85 million of DCMS grant from the GLA.
3LDA Single Programme plus £1.85 million of DCMS grant from the GLA.

Estimate of funds allocated to the promotion of the arts (£ million)
2003–04 2004–05
AWM 0.73 0.54
EEDA 1.40 0.82
EMDA Not available1 Not available1
LDA 10.20 210.00
NWDA Not available3 Not available3
ONE 3.89 4.59
SEEDA 410.00 Not yet available
SWRDA 2.60 3.00
YF 5 1. 19 5 1. 04

1EMDA spend on the promotion of tourism and the arts is recorded as a single budget heading.

2Provisional figure from the Mayor's budget proposal.

3NWDA does not have a specific budget for the promotion of the arts.

4SEEDA does not have a specific budget for the promotion of the arts and the figure covers support to the whole of the cultural sector.

5 In line with the principles of the Single Pot, YF does not have specific budgets for the promotion of tourism and the arts. The figures provided relate to some of the notable projects supported.