§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will publish the list of invitees to the Tourism Summit; [112080]
(2) which Ministers will be attending the Tourism Summit; [112087]
(3) how many invitations to the Tourism Summit have been issued; and how many (a) acceptances, and (b) refusals have been returned. [112078]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 28 February 2000]: All Members of the EA Cabinet Committee and the Foreign Secretary were invited to nominate a Minister to attend the Summit. Ministers from the Scottish and Welsh devolved Administrations and from the Northern Ireland Assembly were also invited. Further invitations were also issued to Lord Haskins and Teresa Graham, Chairman and Deputy Chair of the Better Regulation Task Force, to David Quarmby, the Chairman of the British Tourist Authority; Alan Britten, Chairman of the English Tourism Council; Sir Ron Watson, Chairman of the Tourism Executive at the Local Government Association and Bob Cotton, the Chief Executive of the British Hospitality Association.
The following Ministers accepted invitations to the Summit which I chaired: Patricia Hewitt MP, DTI; Beverley Hughes MP, DETR; Tessa Jowell MP, DfEE; 351W Mike O'Brien MP, Home Office; Patricia Scotland, FCO; Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary, HM Treasury; Joyce Quin MP, MAFF; and Alasdair Morrison MSP.
Lord Haskins, Teresa Graham, David Quarmby, Alan Britten, Sir Ron Watson, and Bob Cotton also attended.
A number of officials were also present.