§ Mr. Joplingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidance to all national park planning authorities with regard to their future spending, in the light of the recent purchase by the Lake District Planning Board of a set of life-size waxwork figures of Beatrix Potter characters for the sum of £1,300 in view of the Government's policy to cut public expenditure.
§ Mr. MarksAppropriate guidance on overall levels of expenditure by national park authorities is already regularly issued in the context of their forward estimates, but the selection of priorities is generally for the park authorities themselves. I understand that the Beatrix Potter figures referred to will be acquired at a cost of £1,390, part of which will be met by a private party, and will be used as an extra attraction to increase visits to the Brockholes National Park Centre.