§ 10. Mr. Peter L. Pike (Burnley)What the Government are doing to support local authority initiatives in tourism. [41996]
§ The Minister for Film and Tourism (Mr. Tom Clarke)The Government fully recognise the major role that local authorities play in relation to tourism. Local authorities are closely involved in the Department's work on developing a comprehensive strategy for tourism which will identify how best to work together in future.
Councillor John Price is chairing the domestic tourism working group which is reporting to the main tourism forum.
§ Mr. PikeMy right hon. Friend will know that many local authorities, including Burnley, are becoming 11 increasingly involved in tourism. Regional development agencies will be key players in the development of tourism in the years ahead. Will local authorities be given a full role, working in co-operation with regional development agencies?
§ Mr. ClarkeYes, unreservedly. My hon. Friend has raised an extremely important point. He will be pleased to know that almost all local authorities are members of their regional tourist boards, which, in turn, have taken the positive step of bidding to become partnership organisations of their regional development agencies, and we warmly welcome that.
§ Mr. Peter Brooke (Cities of London and Westminster)Will the lottery be funding English tourism in future?
§ Mr. ClarkeThe right hon. Gentleman, as a former Secretary of State, will know that—particularly because of the comprehensive spending round—all those matters are currently being discussed. I cannot respond to his specific point about the lottery, as the matter is still under discussion. He will understand that, because of the comprehensive spending round, he will have to wait just a little longer.
§ Mr. Gareth R. Thomas (Harrow, West)Is my right hon. Friend aware that local authority initiatives to encourage tourism in my area may be undermined by the need to divert resources to fund trauma counselling for the younger members of the constituency after the departure of Geri Halliwell from the Spice Girls? Will he join me in encouraging Ginger Spice to think again?
§ Mr. ClarkeI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question. I had the opportunity to meet the Spice Girls on location; I was also delighted to be at the premiere of their film. I am sure that what has taken place is simply a little local difficulty, which they are perfectly capable of sorting out. I wish them well.
§ Mr. Francis Maude (Horsham)It is good to hear that the Minister has a policy on the Spice Girls, as well as on Gazza's exclusion from the England team. Does he accept that local authority initiatives on tourism depend heavily on the work of the English tourist board? Will he confirm the report in The Times on Saturday that his Department has agreed to the board's disbandment as part of the comprehensive spending review? Does he accept that his Department spends only a twentieth on English tourism of what is spent per capita in Scotland? Does he understand how angry the English tourism industry and English local authorities will be about this apparent concession by a Minister who sits for a Scottish constituency, made at the behest of a Chief Secretary and a Chancellor who also represent Scottish seats? Does that not confirm that the tourism industry is simply an optional extra for him and his team?
§ Mr. ClarkeThat was a good try, but, as a former Treasury Minister, the right hon. Gentleman knows better. He should not indulge in what he clearly knows is speculation. He knows that the Government are committed to tourism, which is the fifth biggest industry in Britain and is worth £40 billion. He will recall that 12 comprehensive spending reviews have taken place under all Governments. Our commitment to the British Tourist Authority and the ETB is the same as the one we inherited from the Conservative Government. The right hon. Gentleman should pay less attention to newspaper speculation and a good deal more to the praise that the ETB, the BTA and the regional bodies have given to the Government, and particularly to their excellent contributions to my right hon. Friend's tourism forum.