Tourism

HC Deb 18 July 1989 vol 157 cc161-2W

31. Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will discuss with the chairman of the British Tourist Authority the provision of training facilities for employees and employers in the tourist industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee

I am keen to encourage improvements in training in the tourism industry, and the education and training unit, run jointly by the English tourist board and the British Tourist Authority, has made a most valuable contribution to that.

49. Mr. Latham

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his plans to encourage British tourism.

99. Mr. Robert Hicks

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends announcing the results of his tourism review; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee

I refer my hon. Friends to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 6 July to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Yardley (Mr. Bevan) at column278.

51. Mr. Charles Wardle

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the English tourist board to discuss the tourism review.

Mr. Lee

I frequently meet the chairman of the ETB to discuss a range of matters affecting tourism.

64. Mr. Bevan

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the tourism review.

Mr. Lee

I have nothing to add to the answer given to my hon. Friend by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 6 July at column278.

87. Mr. Bellingham

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the role of regional tourist boards following the tourism review.

Mr. Lee

I expect the English tourist board to devolve many of its activities and direct substantially more of its funding to the regional tourist boards. This will enable the RTBs to increase their marketing activities and their direct involvement in encouraging the development of tourism locally.

100. Mr. Gerald Bowden

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairmen of the regional tourism boards to discuss the tourism review; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lee

I hope to meet the chairmen of the regional tourist boards very shortly.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report, the total Government expenditure on the British Tourist Authority and each of the national tourist boards for each year from 1978 to the latest available year at current and constant 1988 prices.

Mr. Lee

Responsibility for the Scottish, Wales and Northern Ireland tourist boards lies with their respective Secretaries of State. The figures requested for the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board (including the payments of grants under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969, administered by the English tourist board) are:

Current prices
£ million
	BTA	ETB	Section 4 scheme
1978–79	11.0	5.0	1.3
1979–80	12.8	6.1	4.2
1980–81	14.2	7.3	4.2
1981–82	16.2	8.7	4.0
1982–83	18.1	10.5	4.5
1983–84	17.0	8.6	6.3
1984–85	17.3	9.2	8.4
1985–86	17.1	8.8	7.9
1986–87	20.4	10.3	9.5
1987–88	22.0	11.3	12.0
1988–89	23.7	12.6	13.2

Constant 1988 prices
£ million
	BTA	ETB	Section 4 scheme
1978–79	24.3	11.0	3.0
1979–80	24.7	11.8	8.1
1980–81	22.9	11.8	6.8
1981–82	23.4	12.6	5.8
1982–83	24.3	14.1	6.0
1983–84	21.7	11.0	8.1
1984–85	21.1	11.2	10.3
1985–86	19.8	10.2	9.1
1986–87	22.8	11.5	10.6
1987–88	23.4	12.0	12.8
1988–89	23.7	12.6	13.2

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in theOfficial Report the total planned expenditure on the British Tourist Authority and each of the national tourist boards for 1989–90, 1990–91, and 1991–92, respectively.

Mr. Lee

Responsibility for the Scottish, Wales and Northern Ireland tourist boards lies with their respective Secretaries of State.

In 1989–90, planned expenditure on grant-in-aid to the British Tourist Authority and to the English tourist board is £24.8 million and £13.2 million respectively. In addition, £10 million will be available to fulfil commitments made under the section 4 scheme prior to its suspension.

Expenditure plans for following years will be determined under public expenditure survey arrangements in the normal way.