Tourism (Hansard, 21 November 1984)

§ 5. Mr. Adley
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of the reorganisation of the tourism infrastructure in England.

§ Mr. Norman Lamont
The rationalisation of the activities of the BTA and the ETB is now at an advanced stage. Mr. Duncan Bluck assumed the chairmanship of the ETB on 1 November. The majority of BTA and ETB staff are due to move to shared premises at Thames Tower, Hammersmith, on 2 January 1985. From that date all common services functions will be provided by a single organisational structure under the joint responsibility of the two chief executives. Some 60 per cent. of the boards' employees will be engaged in the merged common services organisation.

§ Mr. Adley
I thank my hon. Friend for that reply and give a warm welcome to the progress that has been made so far. Does he agree that the eventual aim should be to reinvigorate and strengthen the regional boards in England, with the objective of giving them powers and responsibilities akin to those of the successful boards in Wales and Scotland? Does he also agree that, to achieve that objective, it would be sensible to consider the redrawing of the boundaries of the boards, and perhaps reducing them in number, but not to make them conterminous with the economic development areas?

§ Mr. Lamont
I shall consider my hon. Friend's point about the boundaries of the tourist boards. I agree that the objective should be to decentralise tourism, and I would like the regional tourist boards to do more. I have had a series of meetings with the chairman of the regional tourist boards to discuss precisely how that might be done. We are looking at a scheme whereby the ETB and the regional tourist boards would carry out joint promotion. That is the direction in which we wish to go.

§ Mr. Heffer
As the Government have more or less destroyed the industrial base of Merseyside, and as the future is clearly laid down in relation to tourism, will the Minister talk to the person responsible to ensure that tourism is developed on Mersyside, which has great potential?

§ Mr. Lamont
Many people apart from the Government have done a great deal of harm to industry on Merseyside. I agree that there is great potential for toursim on Merseyside. The support given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to the international garden festival— which was opposed by some Opposition Members—gave a tremendous fillip to the city. I shall certainly hold further talks, because I believe that the potential of Merseyside is considerable.