§ 45. Mr. Michael BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the English tourist board to discuss proposals to increase overseas visitors to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeI hope to meet the chairman of the English tourist board in the near future to discuss various matters concerning the promotion of tourism in this country.
§ 48. Mr. John GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received on the implications for the tourist industry of the Local Government Finance Bill.
§ Mr. LeeI have received representations on this subject from a number of organisations representing firms in the industry, and also from individual operators.
§ 50. Mr. David EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many section 4 tourist grants were made by the English tourist board in 1987; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LeeIn the financial year 1986–87, a total of 630 project applications were approved by the English tourist board. The total of section 4 assistance offered was £13.95 million. Between April 1987 and February 1988, a total of 561 project applications have been approved, with assistance offered totalling £14.12 million.
§ 85. Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many overseas tourists visited Britain in 1987; and what proportion visited areas of the country outside metropolitan London.
§ Mr. LeeFigures for the number of overseas tourists are not yet available for the whole of 1987. However, in the first 11 months of 1987 there were 14.9 million visits to the United Kingdom by overseas residents, some 14 per cent. more than in the same period of 1986. It is not possible to say what proportion of these visited areas outside London but 57 per cent. of visits to the United Kingdom in 1986 included at least one night spent outside London.