HC Deb 23 June 1997 vol 296 cc613-4
7. Mr. Desmond Browne

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what priority he attaches to the role of museums in preserving the industrial heritage. [3089]

Mr. Fisher

The industrial heritage is of immense importance to the understanding of our past. Museums and conservation agencies have a central role to play in its preservation.

Mr. Browne

is my hon. Friend aware of plans for an industrial heritage facility in my constituency that will train young people in lacemaking skills using a unique pup lace loom that is part of the collection at the local museum, the Dick institute? Will my hon. Friend encourage such initiatives not only for museums, tourism and education, but for training young people in skills which otherwise might be lost?

Mr. Fisher

I am particularly pleased to have a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, whose predecessor, William McKelvey, was a well liked and respected Member of this House who stood down at the election because of ill health. The House will be pleased that he is recovering his health and will be grateful if my hon. Friend can convey that message to him.

I welcome initiatives such as that at the Dick institute, which sounds as if it is a model of good practice in its understanding of the importance of our industrial heritage. We believe that heritage is a living thing of contemporary relevance; by conserving the industrial techniques of the past to provide training for young people for the future, the Dick institute project seems to meet that approach. Museums and other heritage projects have a particular contribution to make to Government projects such as welfare to work and the regeneration work of the regional development agencies. By using industrial skills to provide work for the future, this project demonstrates the potential of that approach.

Mr. Hawkins

I agree with the Minister that our industrial heritage is extremely important for tourism, but is he aware that great concern has been expressed at the Government's plans to reduce the amount available from the national lottery for such tourism projects as industrial heritage by abandoning the additionality principle, which his party supported in opposition when the lottery was introduced? Are not the Government determined to reduce the amount of lottery money available to heritage and tourism by using it as a substitute for the taxpayers' money that is being taken away from health and education?

Mr. Fisher

No, that is not the case, and the hon. Gentleman should look at our plans. There is no question of reducing the sums of money that now go to the lottery boards. The lottery review Bill will be concerned with distributing the additional sums of money from the Wednesday lottery and other lottery sources.