§ Mr. GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what her estimate is of the annual cost to English Heritage of allowing free access to English Heritage sites for(a) under 16s and students, (b) pensioners and (c) all visitors; [39698]
(2) what her estimate is of the annual cost to (a) the Government and (b) English Heritage allowing free access to English Heritage sites for (i) under 16s and students, (ii) pensioners and (iii) all visitors. [39697]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 4 March 2002]: Some 70 per cent. of English Heritage sites are already free to all visitors. In addition, over half a million children, students and teachers enjoy free admission to English Heritage sites on education visits. English Heritage 1155W estimate that extending free admission to all groups of young people would cost them £650,000 a year. Following the publication of The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future, we are considering, together with all relevant bodies, how the principle of free access for children might be extended to the historic environment sector. There are no plans at this stage to extend this to other groups of visitors.