HC Deb 09 June 1997 vol 295 cc310-1W
Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what evidence he has of the effect on the balance of payments in tourism of changes in the real exchange rate measured in terms of export unit values; what were imports and exports of tourism in cash terms and as a percentage of gross overseas products for each year since 1983, together with the balance of payments in tourism; what estimate he has made of the extent to which the figures are affected by changes in the real exchange rate since 1994 as measured by changes in the nominal exchange rate and in the real exchange rate weighted by the percentage change in import and export unit values in trade on manufactures with non-EC countries; and what is his estimate of the increase in output in the United Kingdom tourist industry in 1997 and 1998. [2127]

Mr. Tom Clarke

The level of inbound and domestic tourism in the UK is affected by a number of factors such as the quality and range of hotels (and other facilities) and

Exports of goods and services Imports of goods and services
Tourism credits (£ million) Total export credits (£ million) Tourism as a percentage of all exports Tourism debits (£ million) Total debits (£ million) Tourism as a percentage of all imports Balance of payments in tourism (£ million)
1983 4,003 79,880 5.0 4,090 77,588 5.3 -87
1984 4,614 91,632 5.0 4,663 92,763 5.0 -49
1985 5,442 102,041 5.3 4,871 98,988 4.9 571
1986 5,553 97,885 5.7 6,083 101,221 6.0 -530
1987 6,260 106,397 5.9 7,280 111,737 6.5 -1,020
1988 6,184 107,273 5.8 8,216 124,796 6.6 -2,032
1989 6,945 121,486 5.7 9,357 142,808 6.6 -2,412
1990 7,748 133,165 5.8 9,886 148,285 6.7 -2,138
1991 7,386 134,289 5.5 9,951 141,009 7.1 -2,565
1992 7,891 142,114 5.6 11,243 150,268 7.5 -3,352
1993 9,487 159,997 5.9 12,972 167,941 7.7 -3,485
1994 9,919 176,065 5.6 14,500 182,149 8.0 -4,581
1995 12,092 197,600 6.1 15,683 203,086 7.7 -3,591
19961 12,693 215,195 5.9 16,607 220,792 7.5 -3,914
1 Provisional.

Mr. Miller

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment has been made of the effect of the sale of British Rail International Ltd. on United Kingdom tourism. [2007]

Mr. Clarke

None. The sale of British Rail International Ltd. (BRIL) to Grandes Lignes International SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Societe National des Chemins de fer Francais, (SNCF), the French state-owned railway was only completed on 24 March 1997 after competitive tender.