HC Deb 22 May 1990 vol 173 c162W
33. Mr. Simon Coombs

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

Mr. Nicholls

Progress continues to be made to implement the results of the review announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir N. Fowler),Official Report, 28 November 1989, column 212. Ministers and officials are regularly reviewing progress on all the recommendations with the British Tourist Authority and the English tourist board.

63. Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what figures he has for the total number of overseas visitors to the United Kingdom during the first quarter of 1990; and what was the figure for the first quarter of 1989.

Mr. Nicholls

It is estimated that overseas residents made 2,310,000 visits to the United Kingdom during the first two months of 1990, the latest period for which results are available. This is 15 per cent. higher than in the equivalent period of 1989.

55. Mr. McCrindle

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has received any representations for soft loans from the tourist industry.

Mr. Nicholls

It has been suggested to my Department that the tourism industry could benefit from the provision of soft loans towards meeting the cost of capital developments. However, the English tourist board's latest reported record levels of investment in tourism projects show that there is no shortage of investors willing to support good quality and commercially sound tourism projects.

50. Mr. Charles Wardle

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the increase in the current financial year in his Department's grant to the English tourist board.

Mr. Nicholls

In 1990–91 the English tourist board will receive grant in aid of £14,595,000. This represents a 9 per cent. increase over the £13,265,000 grant in aid for 1989–90.

41. Mr. Amess

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many tourists visited Britain in the last year.

Mr. Nicholls

The information is published in table 8.2 of the May issue ofEmployment Gazette.