§ Mr. KempTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to promote tourism and culture opportunities in the North-east. [117942]
§ Janet AndersonThe Northumbria Tourist Board (NTB) will receive £340,687 for tourism projects in the region from the English Tourism Council in 2000–01—an increase of 31 per cent. on the current year. These projects include the development of information and communications technology to improve regional competitiveness and deliver added value for tourism businesses, which will help promote tourism throughout the North-east. The region, in common with all parts of England, also benefits from the promotion work of the British Tourist Authority (BTA), which promotes Britain as a visitor destination in overseas markets. The BTA is receiving £37 million from my Department this year.
Tourism and culture in the North-east have also benefited, both directly and indirectly, from the National Lottery (3,083 projects in the region have received awards totalling £334,087,674 according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's National Lottery Awards Database which uses information supplied by the distributing bodies).
We have also established Regional Cultural Consortiums in each of the regions in England to champion the whole spectrum of cultural and creative interests, including tourism. The consortium for the North-east met for the first time in December last year. It is currently preparing a regional cultural strategy which will be seeking to identify the key tourism and cultural opportunities and priorities. Regional Development Agencies are also a key part of Government's commitment to regional development. My Department has sought to ensure, in consultation with One North East, the RDA for the North-east, that the contribution that tourism and culture can make to the regional economy is fully acknowledged in the economic strategy.