§ Mr. CollinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the state of the tourism industry in the Lake District following the foot and mouth outbreak and the events of 11 September; and if she will review the case for further Government assistance. [7516]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 18 October 2001]: Lord Haskins, appointed by the Prime Minister as rural recovery co-ordinator for Cumbria, has published his report on the effects of foot and mouth on Cumbria and we will be considering the need for further assistance in the light of this report.
It is not yet possible to provide an estimate of the impact of the events of 11 September on tourism at this point in time. Official in-bound international tourism data for the month of September 2001 will not be available until November 2001. When these statistics are available, a more thorough assessment of the initial impact can be made.