Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the United Kingdom's share of the world tourism market in each year since 1979. [15369]
Mr. Sproat: Complete figures for each year are not available, but the latest world tourism organisation yearbook shows that the UK share of the world total for international tourism receipts was 4.4 per cent. in 1993 and 6.7 per cent. in 1980. Provisional figures published by the British Tourist Authority show a 1994 UK share of 4.5 per cent. All these calculations are based on amounts converted into US dollars.
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what estimate she has made of the number of people employed in the tourism industry; and how many of these workers are (a) full time, (b) part time and (c) women. [15368]
Mr. Sproat: There were 1,545,000 employees in employment in tourism-related industries in Great Britain in September 1995, and a further 186,000 self-employed. The latest available estimate is therefore total employment of 1,731,000.
Of the employees in employment (a) 705,000 are full time, (b) 841,000 are part time and (c) 911,000 are women.
Mr. Pendry:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the United Kingdom's tourism balance of trade for each year since 1979. [15370]
Mr. Sproat:
Figures for the travel account in the UK balance of payments, published by the Central Statistical Office, are as follows:
(12) Q1-Q3 only; seasonally adjusted.
21 Feb 1996 : Column: 176
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the most recent estimate she has made of the value of tourism to the United Kingdom's economy. [15371]
Mr. Sproat: Tourism makes a significant contribution to our economy. Spending by tourists in the UK was more than £36 billion in 1994, which is equivalent to more than 5 per cent. of total GDP. The number of jobs in tourism-related industries increased by nearly 4 per cent. in the year to last September, to reach nearly 1.75 million. The total economic and employment impact of travel and tourism is even greater than these figures show because of the indirect benefits of tourism spending across the economy.
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [16011]
Mr. Sproat: The information is as follows:
Arts Council of England
British Film Institute
British Library Board
Crafts Council
English Tourist Board
English Heritage
Museums and Galleries Commission
Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund
Register of the Public Lending Right
Sports Council.
(b) None.
(c) All of my Department's executive NDPBs are subject to scrutiny by the Comptroller and Auditor General with the exception of the National Film Development Fund.
21 Feb 1996 : Column: 177
(e) My Department monitors the performance of its NDPBs as part of the Corporate Planning process, through which targets and performance indicators are set.
(f) The principles of the Citizen's Charter apply to all the Department's NDPBs.
Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) on what basis she has not offered to all public service television broadcasters guaranteed capacity in the digital environment sufficient to enable them to provide new services; what steps she plans to take to ensure parity of treatment for such public service broadcasters; and if she will make a statement; [16167]
Mr. Sproat: The Government judge that a quarter of a multiplex should be more than sufficient for a television broadcaster to reproduce an existing programme service to an acceptable level of picture quality in digital form. This minimum capacity will be offered to S4C and Channel 4 in Wales, so that both might have the widest possible coverage there. The BBC will be offered a whole multiplex, on which it would be required to broadcast its existing two channels. Channel 3, Channel 5 and, outside Wales, Channel 4 will be offered half a multiplex each; again, they would be required to broadcast their existing services on that capacity.
Digital broadcasting also offers new opportunities for data and other additional services, including "super teletext" services, business information services and home shopping. The Government recognise that these services will be attractive to consumers and the Broadcasting Bill provides that such services may occupy up to 10 per cent. of the capacity of any multiplex.
Teletext, holder of the public service teletext licence, has been offered capacity on the multiplex to be shared between Channel 3, Channel 4 and S4C. The Secretary of State recently met Teletext to discuss its digital service and is considering further its request for increased guaranteed capacity so that it, like the broadcasters mentioned, would have sufficient guaranteed capacity also to provide new services. No decision has yet been made on that request.
Mr David Howell:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what correspondence she has received concerning the future of the Yvonne Arnaud theatre in Guildford. [14826]
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 14 February 1996]: In addition to my right hon. Friend's own letters on the subject, correspondence has been received from my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor), the chairman
21 Feb 1996 : Column: 178
and members of the theatre's appeals committee and the theatre's director and a number of members of the public. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also received a large number of letters in a constituency capacity.
Mr. Fisher:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she will place a copy of Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield's report on the Royal Fine Art Commission in the Library. [15731]
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 19 February 1996]: We are finalising with DOE some detailed points relating to planning guidance. We will place the report and our conclusions in the Library as soon as consultations within government have been completed.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much has been spent to date from public funds for the restoration of Windsor castle; and what is the expected timetable for completion of the restoration. [15926]
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 19 February 1996]: By 31 March 1995 £5.7 million had been spent on the restoration from public funds; this is expected to increase to approximately £7.2 million by 31 March 1996.
The restoration is expected to be complete by the spring of 1998.
Mr. Tony Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage in what circumstances the Gibraltarian flag may be flown at the Gibraltar Government office in London; and if he will make a statement. [15914]
Mr. Sproat
[holding answer 19 February 1996]: The Government guidelines issued by my Department cover only the flying of the Union flag on central Government buildings in the UK.
Next Section | Index | Home Page |