§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the value in real terms of the total funds available to the British Tourist Authority as compared to the funds available to it in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe following table shows the sums provided for the financial years 1980 –81 to 1983 –84 inclusive deflated to constant 1980 prices using the implied UK market price GDP deflator. Figures for 1984 –85 on a comparable basis are not yet available.
Year Amount £'000 1980–81 14,230 1981–82 14,690 1982–83 15,375 1983–84 13,670 These figures do not fully reflect the changes in the real level of purchasing power of the BTA overseas since they do not take account of rates of inflation in different countries or fluctuations in exchange rates between sterling and relevant foreign currencies, or changes in the level of the BTA's income derived from trade sources.
Grant-in-aid provision for 1985–86 for the British Tourist Authority will be contained in the Supply Estimates to be published later this month.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why he has reduced the funds available to the British Tourist Authority in real terms; and what services he expects they will have to delete from their operations to take account of this situation.
§ Mr. ButcherThe BTA's grant-in-aid was cut in 1983–84 to take account of the planned reduction in the BTA's activities as announced by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 16 March 1983 at column39 in reply to a written parliamentary question. Since then the level of BTA's grant-in-aid has in cash terms broadly been maintained. Within the overriding need to control the level of public expenditure, the Government have maintained their commitment to the tourist industry and welcome the continued growth in this important sector of the economy.