§ 37. Mr. Gregoryasked the Paymaster General what financial assistance has been given by the Government to the United Kingdom conference industry for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierThe Government recognise that the conference sector is an important element of the tourism 141W market and assist the sector through the funds made available to the British tourist authority and the national tourist boards for England, Scotland and Wales.
Since 1979 to date the English tourist board has given the following assistance to conference centre developments under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969.
Year Number of centres Amount £ 1979–80 2 365,000 1980–81 — — 1981–82 1 33,400 1982–83 2 225,000 1983–84 3 100,750 1984–85 5 236,750 1985–86 1 19,500 Total 14 980,400 The figures for the Welsh tourist board (which is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales) are as follows:
Year Number of centres Amount £ 1979–80 — — 1980–81 1 150,000 1981–82 — — 1982–83 1 100,000 1983–84 — — 1984–85 1 69,186 1985–86 — — Total 3 319,186 Comparable figures are not available from the Scottish and Northern Ireland tourist boards which are the responsibility respectively of the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
In addition all five statutory tourist boards promote the conference industry through their general marketing activities but the amount of this assistance is not separately quantifiable in all cases.
Conference centre facilities can be assisted under certain other schemes operated by the Department of the Environment and the territorial departments where they satisfy the necessary criteria.