§ Mr. Bevanasked the Minister for Trade (1) if he will make a statement on his current review of the organisation of tourism in the United Kingdom;
(2) if he will list the steps he is taking to ensure that all relevant tourist and tourist-related bodies, including firms commercially involved, are consulted in his current review of the tourist industry.
§ Mr. Sproat[pursuant to his reply, 12 July 1982]: I have decided to set up a radical and comprehensive review of the way in which we handle tourism in this country. 313W Among the reasons are the following: the industry now turns over some £8 billion annually, of which some £4 billion is in foreign currency, and it is important to monitor how the various tourist organisations deal with this contribution to the economy. The statutory basis of our tourist industry, as defined in the Development of Tourism Act 1969, has now been effective for over 10 years and it is time therefore to see how this Act has worked in practice, and last year, for the first time, our balance of payments in the tourist trade went into a deficit of £286 million: I naturally want to reverse this trend.
During the course of the review—which I shall be carrying out in consultation with my noble Friend the Minister of State at the Scottish Office and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State at the Welsh Office, who have responsibility for tourism organisation within their respective countries—I hope to hear views on a very broad range of important matters relating to the tourist industry and tourism organisation. I am encouraging any tourist or tourist-related body—including the regional boards in England, the English Tourist Board and British Tourist Authority and individual board members, commercial interests and trade associations—to let me have their views on those aspects which concern them.
I hope to conclude the review by Christmas.
§ Mr. Norman Hoggasked the Minister for Trade what terms of reference he will apply to the review of the tourist industry in the United Kingdom; when he expects to publish his findings; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Sproat[pursuant to the reply, 12 July 1982]: In consultation with my noble Friend the Minister of State at the Scottish Office and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State at the Welsh Office, who have responsibility for tourism organisation within their respective countries, I am discussing with tourist and tourist-related bodies whatever seems to them most important in how we handle tourism in Great Britain. When I publish any conclusions will depend on when I conclude my discussions. I would not expect these to extend beyond this year.
§ Mr. Norman Hoggasked the Minister for Trade what consultations he proposes, if any, with the tourist boards and tourist organisations on the review of the industry.
§ Mr. Sproat[pursuant to his reply, 12 July 1982]: I shall be consulting very broadly among tourist and tourist-related bodies.
§ Mr. Norman Hoggasked the Minister for Trade what consultations he will undertake with those local authorities which have a tourist function on the review of the tourist industry.
§ Mr. Sproat[pursuant to his reply, 12 July 1982]: I shall be happy to consult any local authorities which indicates that it wishes to put to me views on how I fulfil my duties in respect of tourism.