§ 76. Mr. Bevanasked the Paymaster General which areas of the United Kingdom he has particularly in mind when seeking, as part of tourism policy, to encourage the dispersal of foreign visitors away from London.
§ Mr. TrippierI have asked the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board to pay particular attention to areas of the country which could attract more tourists and where unemployment is high.
The BTA will be receiving almost £3.5 million of additional funding in 1986–87 and will be devoting the majority of this to campaigns concentrating on regions with above-average unemployment. Around 20 per cent. will go to Scotland, and 15 per cent. to Wales. In England, the North of England and the west country will each receive about 20 per cent., and the heart of England 15 per cent. The remaining 10 per cent. will go to more specific problem areas such as the Isle of Wight and Thanet.
With its additional funding (£1.5 million for grant in aid activities and £1.5 million for the section 4 scheme) the ETB will be devoting additional resources to their tourism development action programmes which are planned for Bradford, Tyneside, Kielder, Birmingham and Exmoor. A major North of England promotion is to be mounted and other areas to receive special attention will include Cumbria, Merseyside and Stoke, which is of course building up to next month's opening of the 1986 National Garden Festival. The resorts will also benefit, in particular Bridlington and Torbay, the joint winners of the board's "Resorts 2000" competition.