HC Deb 25 January 1988 vol 126 cc15-6W
Mr. Cummings

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to encourage the American tourist and travel agencies to make more use of northern airports, hotels and travel facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee

I am keen to spread the benefits of tourism more widely around the country. I welcome the work done by northern regional tourist boards to promote their regions both at home and abroad.

Mr. Cummings

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will grant aid to more tourist information centres on the A 19 from Dishforth to the Tyne tunnel and the A1 from Dishforth to Newcastle.

Mr. Lee

I understand that both the Nurthumbria and Yorkshire and Humberside tourist boards are considering the provision of tourist information on the main routes north. The English tourist board is prepared to consider applications for assistance from the section 4 scheme towards the costs of developing tourist information facilities in appropriate locations.

Mr. Cummings

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he is taking to ensure that, upon completion of the Channel tunnel, tourist traffic will have good access to the north-east.

Mr. Lee

My Department, as well as the Department of Transport, is represented on the British tourist authority's Channel tunnel tourism working party which is studying the impact of the tunnel on the tourist industry and identifying how best to exploit its tourism potential to the benefit of the whole country.

Mr. David Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the implications for the development of the tourism industry of the introduction of a general certificate of secondary education examination in travel and tourism.

Mr. Lee

I understand that there are developments taking place in this area. While I welcome initiatives which help to make education more relevant to the needs of industry and commerce including tourism, it is too early as yet to assess the full implication for the industry of this particular development.