§ Mr. MacGregorasked the Secretary of State for Trade what sums by way of grants and loans have been paid in each of the last five years under Section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969; if he will allocate these as between the different regions; and to what extent grants and loans have fallen short of the maximum allocations permissible for these purposes in each year.
§ Mr. MeacherThe Scottish and Wales Tourist Boards are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales respectively.
Comparison of financial provision to the English Tourist Board for expenditure under Section 4 and corresponding expenditure for the years in question shows that after an uncertain start—expenditure of nearly £91,000 in 1971–72, leaving an underspend of £310,000—the programme consolidated to one of £1.31 million last year on which there was an underspend of £30,000. The increased programme for this year is likely to be achieved with nothing to spare.
More detailed figures of annual provision in the Estimates for the English 345W Tourist Board for each of the years in question are available in Clause IV of the Annual Estimates placed in the Library of the House; corresponding annual expenditure is set out in the board's annual reports, also available in the Library. Under arrangements approved by Ministers such assistance is confined to expenditure in the development areas, but subject to this, regional allocation is at the discretion of the board.