§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the abolition of the English Tourist Board; what body or bodies will replace the English Tourist Board; what assessment he has made of the ability of English tourism to compete against Welsh and Scottish tourism following the abolition of the English Tourist Board; and what grants will be made available for the promotion of tourism in the English regions. [55500]
§ Janet AndersonOn 24 July 1998,Official Report, columns 699–700, we announced our consultation into the Department's activities following the Comprehensive Spending Review. This included a review of the support we currently give to English tourism. While recognising the need for a national co-ordinating role, the consultation set out four possible options for alternative structures that might deliver a greater proportion of the available funds more directly in support of tourism in the regions.
We are currently considering the responses we have received. No decisions have yet been made on whether to abolish the English Tourist Board and, if so, which structure should replace it. We will decide in the light of the consultation which support structure for English tourism can best implement our new tourism strategy, which will be published in the next few months.
All the money that is currently provided for the support of English tourism will be ring-fenced for that purpose. It is our intention to seek to deploy those resources more effectively in order to release more money for regional support of tourism.