HC Deb 05 June 2000 vol 351 cc92-3W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to promote tourism in East Lancashire. [123523]

Janet Anderson

The North West Tourist Board (NWTB) will receive £383,845 for tourism projects in the region from the English Tourism Council in 2000–01—an increase of 32 per cent. on the previous year. These projects include a series of research initiatives at both the regional and pan-regional levels that will provide an enhanced level of intelligence to the tourism industry of the region. East Lancashire, 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 Lancashire have also benefited, both directly and indirectly, from the National Lottery (2,300 projects in the county have received awards totalling £468,716,329 according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's National Lottery Awards Database which uses information supplied by the distributing bodies).