HC Deb 15 November 1966 vol 736 cc96-7W
Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how much financial help has been given to the tourist industry by the Government in Wales since 1964.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

Out of the grant of £40,000 towards the cost of the Wales Tourist Board's research programme, £24,325 has already been paid over; all but £2,550 of this was paid during last year and this.

Apart from this, the Government makes a contribution, through the British Travel and Holidays Association, towards the cost of overseas publicity services. The relevant sums received by the Wales Tourist Board were £10,868 in 1964–65, £11,000 in 1965–66 and will be about £12,000 in 1966–67.

The industry is also eligible for substantial assistance under the Industrial Development Act (under which most of Wales is scheduled as a development area), and a scheme was recently announced under which loan assistance can be given for work on hotels where it can be shown that this will result in a significant increase in earnings from overseas visitors.