§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has further to encourage the growth of tourism and tourist-related jobs in East Anglia currently and after 1992.
§ Mr. LeeI refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave on 6 July at column287 to a question from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley (Mr. Bevan). The changes to the operation of both the British Tourist Authority (BTA) and the English tourist board (ETB) set out in that statement are intended to result in even more effective support by these boards and by the East Anglia tourist board for the growth of tourism in East Anglia now and after 1992.
§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received on the proposals of section 4 grants for tourism development; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received representations expressing a variety of views about the section 4 scheme. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend on 6 July to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Yardley (Mr. Bevan) concerning the future of the scheme.
§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has had recently from operators of the touring caravan sites section of the tourist industry; and what advice his Department will he giving them further to develop their job-creating potential.
§ Mr. LeeThe caravan sector is an important part of the tourism industry, providing a large number of jobs, both in caravan manufacture, and in servicing caravan sites. The quality of both has improved substantially in recent years, and I am keen to see the caravan industry continue to develop its potential. I welcome the industry's initiative in marketing itself through a national promotional campaign, in introducing a grading scheme for parks, and in bringing the industry's potential to the notice of planning officials to encourage positive attitudes towards planning applications. I also welcome the substantial capital investment that is currently taking place in this sector.
§ Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list information available to him on the top 10 national visitor-paying tourist attractions by(a) number of visitors, (b) revenue received and (c) where appropriate, profit made during 1988, and the top 10 in the East Midlands tourist board area according to the same criteria.
§ Mr. LeeThe financial information requested could be made available only at disproportionate cost. The national tourist boards' annual surveys of numbers of visits to paying attractions give the following figures for Britain and for the East Midlands tourist board area:
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Number of visits Thousands Britain Madame Tussaud's, London 2,705 Alton Towers, Staffordshire 2,510
Number of visits Thousands Tower of London 2,182 Blackpool Tower 1,478 Natural History Museum 1,367 London Zoo 1,326 Kew Gardens 1,181 Chessington World of Adventures 1,151 Magnum Leisure Centre, Irvine 1,080 Thorpe Park, Surrey 1,028 East Midlands The American Adventure 660 Twycross Zoo 470 Sundown Pets Garden, Rampton 230 Heights of Abraham, Matlock 206 Riber Castle Wildlife Centre 170 Lincoln Castle 165 Battlefield of Bosworth 150 National Tramway Museum 150 Belvoir Castle, Grantham 117 Poole's Cavern, Buxton 100
§ Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total value of tourism in Leicestershire at current prices in each of the years from 1979 to 1989.
§ Mr. LeeThe available information for Leicestershire is shown in table 1 and relates to expenditure by overseas visitors to the United Kingdom who made a trip of at least one night to Leicestershire. Information about spending by domestic residents is available only for the whole of the East Midlands tourist board region, and is shown in table 2 together with the equivalent information for overseas visitors. Figures for tourist expenditure by United Kingdom residents on day trips to Leicestershire or the east midlands are not available.
Table 1 Estimated spending in Leicestershire by overseas residents1 £ million 1979 9 1980 12 1981 11 1982 13 1983 14 1984 17 1985 20 1986 17 1987 17 1988 25 1 Source: International Passenger Survey. 468W
Table 2 Estimated spending in east midlands3 £ million By overseas residents1 By British residents2 Total 1979 37 132 169 1980 43 154 197 1981 21 170 191 1982 53 175 228 1983 62 196 258 1984 79 4230 309 1985 85 234 319 1986 80 305 385 1987 89 290 379 1988 94 365 459 1 Source: International Passenger Survey. 2 Source: British Tourist Authority.
3 East Midlands Regional Tourist Board comprising: Leicestershire together with Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire. 4 From 1984 an improved method of estimating expenditure was introduced for domestic spending. Figures for 1984 and later years are, therefore not, strictly comparable with those for earlier years.