§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of places of historic interest open to the general public owned by his Department; what is the distribution of these properties throughout the English and Welsh counties; and how many persons visited these properties over the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.
§ Mr. ShoreHistoric monuments in the care of the State and open to the public, which includes properties in guardianship as well as those in Crown ownership, in 1978 numbered 307 in England and 109 in Wales. Their distribution is shown in the list of historic monuments which is published jointly by the Department of the Environment, the Scottish Develop-324W ment Department and the Welsh Office, of which a copy is being sent to the hon. Member.
Attendances are recorded only at the monuments where a charge is made for admission; in 1978 these numbered 128 in England and 31 in Wales.
Admission to these monuments in 1977, the last year for which figures have as yet been collated, numbered 12,434,200 in England and 2,064,500 in Wales.
§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what were the total costs incurred by his Department in restoring, manning and maintaining places of historic interest open to the general public during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are readily available; and how these costs were met;
(2) what were the total costs incurred in restoring, manning and maintaining places of historic interest open to the general public under public ownership in Scotland during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are readily available; and how these costs were met.
§ Mr. ShoreExpenditure in 1976–77 on restoring and maintaining historic monuments in Great Britain which were in State care and which were open to the public or being made ready for opening was about £8.5 million. Expenditure on custody staff was about £2 million. Receipts from admission charges in 1977 were £4.2 million.