§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the reduction in the number of area tourist boards envisaged as part of the tourism support arrangements announced on 29 June; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 7 July 1993]: I am asking the Scottish tourist board to consult local interests and to make recommendations. I anticipate that this will take a 256W period of some months. Thereafter, I shall consider its proposals carefully and make an announcement as soon as I can.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends to take to strengthen the composition of the Scottish tourism co-ordinating committee; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 7 July 1993]: I am consulting members of the group and shall make an announcement as soon as I can. My aim is to ensure that the group represents the interests of the tourist industry in all its facets.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the board level appointments envisaged as part of the tourism support arrangements announced on 29 June will be made to represent geographic spread within Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 7 July 1993]: I intend to make cross-board appointments to the boards of the Scottish tourist board, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The purpose of these appoint-ments is to ensure collaboration between the bodies rather than to represent geographic spread of membership.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the implications of local government reorganisation for the role of local authorities in tourism support arrangements following his review of Scottish tourism; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 7 July 1993]: The arrangements which I have announced will ensure that local authorities remain, both before and after local government reorganisation, major players in the develop-ment of Scotland's tourist industry.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations and individuals who responded to the Scottish Office tourism review indicating which of them expressed a view on(a) the relocation of staff and functions from Edinburgh to Inverness and (b) the requirement for an annual strategic plan for Scottish tourism; what plans he has to publish a summary of the responses; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 7 July 1993]: Responses were received from:
Number Statutory agencies 8 Tourist industry representative organisations 25 Tourism businesses 195 Area Tourist Boards and representative organisations 34 Local authorities (plus COSLA) 54 Local Enterprise Companies 17 Other organisations and individuals 88 The need for a national strategy which set out clear objectives and operational arrangements for the industry was a theme which ran through many of the responses, although differing opinions were expressed as to how this might be achieved. The decision to relocate Scottish tourist board staff to Inverness was taken because the Government concluded that it was in the interests of tourism businesses in the highlands and islands that the Scottish tourist board should have representation there.
257WIn accordance with normal practice, all responses to the review have been made available to the public. I have no plans to publish a summary.