§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the factors contributing to the fall in the number of people employed in the tourism industry in England between December 1997 and December 1998; and if he will make a statement. [97988]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 9 November 1999]: Data from the Annual Employment Survey suggest that the number of employee jobs in tourism-related industries (TRI) in England rose by some 8,000 to 1.35 million between December 1997 and December 1998.
On the other hand, Labour Force Survey data suggest that, over the year to December 1998, the number of self-employment jobs fell by 17,000 to 130,000. My Department has asked the Office for National Statistics for their assessment of the reasons for this trend.
The latest figures, for the year to June 1999, show an increase in employee jobs in all TRI sectors and a reduction in the number of self-employed jobs.