§ 78. Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much the grant-in-aid to English Heritage is planned to increase over the next two years.
§ Mr. TrippierWe are allocating an additional £3 million to English Heritage in 1990–91 and an additional £3.02 million in 1991–92, taking its total grant-in-aid in that year to £79.8 million—a 56 per cent. cash increase over 1984–85. These significant extra sums reflect the Government's recognition of the importance of the heritage to the quality of life, and its major contribution to the tourism industry. The increases will enable English Heritage to build on its successful record in several different ways. It will be able to invest more in the maintenance and presentation of its key historic sites—already a source of significant enjoyment and education for an increasing number of adults and youngsters. I am particularly pleased that some of the increase can be earmarked for preparatory work on the proposed new visitor centre at Stonehenge—one of our most outstanding national monuments. Other areas of English Heritage's724W important responsibilities which will benefit from these extra resources include archaeology and the review of some lists of historic buildings which were produced in the early 1970s and are not up to the standards of the more recent lists.