§ Mr. Robert Banksasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to improve the co-ordination of departmental responsibilities linked to tourism since the Government's report on tourism.
§ Mr. Norman LamontMy Department maintains very close contact with other Departments and represents the views of the industry on aspects of other Departments' policies which impinge on tourism. This includes topics which arose during the tourism review.
§ Mr. Robert Banksasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to increase training opportunities for those engaged and seeking employment in the tourist and leisure industries following the Government's review of tourism.
§ Mr. Norman LamontWith my support, the English Tourist Board is engaged in a number of initiatives aimed at providing new training opportunites for young people in the tourism and leisure industry and at indentifying ways in which current training provision needs to be improved. In particular, the board is collaborating with the CBI 39W special programmes unit to establish a youth training scheme in tourism which it is hoped to pilot in Cumbria and East Anglia from September. It is working with the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board to improve the social skills aspect of in-service training. It has also commissioned a study into the number, type and relevance of further and higher education courses in tourism.