§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to bring the level of Government grant-in-aid to the English Tourist Council into line with that to the Scottish, Wales and Northern Ireland tourist boards. [18416]
§ Dr. HowellsGovernment aid to the Scottish Tourist Board, the Wales Tourist Board and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board per head of the population has always been much higher than that to the English Tourism Council (ETC) over the last decade. Each administration now makes its own decisions on funding that take into account local conditions and needs and the extent to which financial support is needed to address market failure in different parts of the country.
Direct comparisons of Government grant do not, of course, provide the whole answer. In England, the local authorities also spend over £90 million each year promoting tourism. DCMS's £1 billion expenditure on arts, museums, galleries, sport etc. also directly benefits tourism. In addition, Government funding to English tourism is set to increase from £10 million in 2001–02 to £12 million in 2002–03 and £12.5 million in 2003–04. Visitor spending in England is higher, at £222 per head of the population, than that in Scotland (£160 per head) or Wales (£92 per head) and total spending by tourists in England has grown faster in recent years.