HC Deb 16 February 1995 vol 254 c789W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he has to tackle low motivation in the hotel and tourism industry caused by low pay.

Mr. Dorrell

I have no such proposals; pay and personnel issues are a matter for the industry itself.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to encourage investment in the tourist industry to offset jobs lost in the manufacturing industry in(a) Coventry and (b) the west midlands.

Mr. Dorrell

Funding is made available to the Heart of England tourist board through the English tourist board to undertake marketing and development activities in its regions, which includes Coventry and the west midlands. In the 1994–95 financial year, the HETB will receive £364,000—indicative figure. In addition, RTBs may bid for funding from the ETB's £2.25 million tourism development fund for specific projects. The public funds made available to the RTBs lever in substantial funding from the private sector.

Local authorities and the regional tourist boards are also eligible to bid for support from the European structural funds and the single regeneration budget. The Government office for the west midlands has allocated £28.4 million—indicative figure—from the European regional development fund for projects in the cultural, media and tourism industries in its programme for 1994–96.