§ 6. Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he has concluded his review of the regional tourist boards in England.
§ Mr. SproatThe regional tourist boards in England are membership organisations. They are not statutory bodies and it would not, therefore, fall to my Department to conduct a review.
§ Mr. EtheringtonWhat guidance has the Minister given the English tourist board with regard to the split in funding between that body and the various regional tourist boards?
§ Mr. SproatThe split means that £4.3 million goes to the ETB, £4.3 million to the regional tourist boards and £2.25 million to the rather oddly called corporate promotion fund. That split was agreed with the regional tourist boards. I hope that we can move forward next year according to that split and see how it works.
§ Sir Donald ThompsonWill my hon. Friend bring to the attention of the regional tourist boards the recent letter that was published in The Times Literary Supplement, which was signed by 64 of our great national literary figures? They pointed out the disadvantages to tourism of hideous wind farms in areas of national significance.
§ Mr. SproatYes, I read with interest that letter, which made a strong point. I will draw it to the attention of the relevant Departments.
§ Mr. FlynnWill the Government arrange for the money that is spent in Cornwall by the ETB to be transferred to Wales, as the Minister's Department transferred a question that I had tabled on the Cornish language—which was selected as Question 4—to the Secretary of State for Wales? Can he confirm that his Department believes that Cornwall is part of Wales?
§ Mr. SproatNo, no and no.