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26 Mar 2003 : Column 277W—continued

Public Libraries

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of public libraries have internet access. [105011]

Dr. Howells: The £100 million lottery funded people's network programme has enabled £4,085 libraries in the UK to be connected to the internet, including all the libraries in Essex. This represents 99 per cent. of libraries in England, 95 per cent. in Scotland, and 100 per cent. in Wales and Northern Ireland. Only 39 English and 30 Scottish libraries, have still to be connected and we expect all but two of these to be online by summer 2003. This is a very significant achievement.

Tourism

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by overseas tourists in the UK in each of the last 10 years, broken down by country of origin. [103848]

Dr. Howells: Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that expenditure by overseas tourists to the UK in last 10 years, broken down into areas of the world, is as follows.

Expenditure by overseas visitors
£ billion

North AmericaWestern EuropeOtherareasTotalworld
19932.14.33.19.5
19942.04.33.59.8
19952.35.54.011.8
19962.36.13.912.3
19972.55.74.012.2
19982.85.84.112.7
19992.95.64.012.5
20003.25.34.312.8
20012.74.73.911.3
2002(6)2.85.13.911.8

(6) Figures for 2002 are provisional.

26 Mar 2003 : Column 278W

Data relating to individual countries are available in the national statistics publication "Travel Trends", copies of which are available from the Library of the House.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the top 20 tourist attractions visited in the UK were in each of the last 10 years; and if she will break down the visitors by country of origin, on a proportional basis. [103849]

Dr. Howells: A table showing the top 20 tourist attractions by visit in the UK is available for each year from 1999 to 2001. Prior to 1999 figures are collated for admission charging attractions only. The figures are taken from the English Tourism Council's (ETC) publication 'Sightseeing in the UK'. These figures are compiled from operators who have responded to the (ETC) survey and have authorised publication. Data on visitors to attractions by country of origin are not collected.

Number of visits
Top 20 attractions in 2001
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool6,500,000
National Gallery, London4,918,985
British Museum, London4,800,938
London Eye, London3,850,000
Tate Museum, London3,551,885
Pleasureland Theme Park, Southport2,100,000
Tower of London, London2,019,210
Clacton Pier, Clacton-on-Sea1,750,000
Eden Project, St. Austell1,700,000
Natural History Museum, London1,696,176
Legoland, Windsor1,632,000
York Minster, York1,600,000
Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth1,500,000
Victoria and Albert Museum, London1,446,344
Science Museum, London1,352,649
Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton1,322,000
National Portrait Gallery, London1,269,819
Windermere Lake Cruises, Ambleside1,241,918
Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury1,151,099
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh1,127,389
Top 20 attractions in 2000
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool6,800,000
Millennium Dome6,516,874
British Museum, London5,466,246
National Gallery, London4,897,690
Tate Modern, London3,873,887
London Eye, London3,300,000
Pleasureland Theme Park, Southport2,600,000
Adventure Island, Southend-on-Sea2,500,000
Alton Towers2,450,000
Madame Tussaud's, London2,388,000
Tower of London, London2,303,167
York Minster, York1,750,000
Natural History Museum, London1,577,044
Chessington World of Adventure1,500,000
Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth1,500,000
Legoland, Windsor1,490,000
Victoria and Albert Museum, London1,344,113
Science Museum, London1,337,432
Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton1,301,000
Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury1,263,140
Top 20 attractions in 1999
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool7,100,000
British Museum, London5,460,537
National Gallery, London4,964,879
Alton Towers2,650,000
Madame Tussaud's, London2,640,000
Pleasureland Theme Park, Southport2,500,000
Tower of London, London2,428,603
Adventure Island, Southend-on-Sea2,000,000
York Minster, York1,900,000
Tate Britain, London1,822,428
Natural History Museum, London1,696,725
Legoland, Windsor1,620,000
Chessington World of Adventure1,550,000
Pleasure Beach, Great Yarmouth1,500,000
Science Museum, London1,483,234
Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury1,318,065
Windsor Castle, Windsor1,280,000
Westminster Abbey, London1,260,000
Victoria and Albert Museum, London1,251,396
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh1,219,720
Top 20 admission charging attractions in 1998
Alton Towers2,782,000
Madame Tussaud's, London2,772,500
Tower of London, London2,551,459
Natural History Museum, London1,904,539
Chessington World of Adventure1,650,000
Science Museum, London1,599,817
Legoland, Windsor1,510,363
Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury1,500,000
Windsor Castle, Windsor1,495,465
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh1,219,055
Victoria and Albert Museum, London1,110,396
Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton1,105,000
St. Paul's Cathedral, London1,095,299
London Zoo1,052,000
Drayton Manor Park, Staffs.1,003,802
Kew Gardens, London1,000,000
Windermere Lake Cruises, Cumbria950,000
Chester Zoo920,000
Royal Academy, London912,714
Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath905,426
Top 20 admission charging attractions in 1997
Madame Tussaud's, London2,798,801
Alton Towers2,701,945
Tower of London, London2,615,170
Natural History Museum, London1,793,400
Chessington World of Adventure1,750,000
Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury1,613,000
Science Museum, London1,537,151
Legoland, Windsor1,297,818
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh1,238,140
Blackpool Tower1,200,000
Windermere Lake Cruises, Cumbria1,131,932
Windsor Castle, Windsor1,129,629
Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton1,103,000
London Zoo1,097,637
Victoria and Albert Museum, London1,040,750
Drayton Manor Park, Staffs.1,002,100
St. Paul's Cathedral, London964,737
Kew Gardens, London937,017
Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath933,489
Thorpe Park, Chertsey912,000
Top 20 admission charging attractions in 1996
Alton Towers2,749,000
Madame Tussaud's, London2,715,000
Tower of London, London2,539,272
Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury1,700,000
Chessington World of Adventure1,700,000
Natural History Museum, London1,607,255
Science Museum, London1,548,286
Legoland, Windsor1,420,511
Windsor Castle, Windsor1,215,631
Blackpool Tower1,200,000
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh1,165,132
Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton1,161,000
Thorpe Park, Chertsey1,139,680
Windermere Lake Cruises, Cumbria1,034,188
London Zoo1,002,104
St. Paul's Cathedral, London1,002,000
Kew Gardens, London993,527
Drayton Manor Park, Staffs.937,296
Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath902,186
Chester Zoo869,222
Top 20 admission charging attractions in 1995
Alton Towers2,707,000
Madame Tussaud's, London2,703,283
Tower of London, London2,536,680
Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury1,900,000
Chessington World of Adventure1,770,000
Science Museum, London1,556,368
St. Paul's Cathedral, London1,500,000
Windsor Castle, Windsor1,212,305
Blackpool Tower1,205,000
Thorpe Park, Chertsey1,166,000
Natural History Museum, London1,064,273
Kew Gardens, London1,060,000
Windermere Lake Cruises, Cumbria1,054,414
London Zoo1,042,701
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh1,037,788
Drayton Manor Park, Staffs.1,000,000
Royal Academy, London881,000
Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath872,915
Warwick Castle803,000
Chester Zoo760,580
Top 20 admission charging attractions in 1994
Alton Towers3,011,000
Madame Tussaud's, London2,631,538
Tower of London, London2,407,115
St. Paul's Cathedral, London1,900,000
Natural History Museum, London1,625,000
Chessington World of Adventure1,614,000
Blackpool Tower1,305,000
Science Museum, London1,268,839
Thorpe Park, Chertsey1,235,000
Drayton Manor Park, Staffs.1,004,000
Windsor Castle, Windsor1,090,668
London Zoo1,046,888
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh992,078
Kew Gardens, London988,801
Royal Academy, London952,472
Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath871,308
Chester Zoo773,554
Warwick Castle755,670
American Adventure, Ilkeston723,000
Stonehenge, Wiltshire696,605
Top 20 admission charging attractions in 1993
Alton Towers2,618,365
Madame Tussaud's, London2,449,627
Tower of London, London2,332,468
St. Paul's Cathedral, London1,900,000
Natural History Museum, London1,700,000
Chessington World of Adventure1,495,000
Thorpe Park, Chertsey1,327,000
Science Museum, London1,277,417
Blackpool Tower1,250,000
Drayton Manor Park, Staffs.1,060,000
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh1,049,693
Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton958,000
Kew Gardens, London940,035
Royal Academy, London922,135
Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath898,142
London Zoo863,352
Chester Zoo814,883
Windsor Castle, Windsor813,059
American Adventure, Ilkeston800,000
Jorvik Viking Centre, York752,586
Top 20 admission charging attractions in 1992
Alton Towers2,501,379
Madame Tussaud's, London2,263,994
Tower of London, London2,235,199
Natural History Museum, London1,700,000
St. Paul's Cathedral, London1,400,000
Tower World, Blackpool1,300,000
Science Museum, London1,212,504
Chessington World of Adventure1,170,000
Thorpe Park, Chertsey1,026,000
Royal Academy, London1,018,114
Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton991,000
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh986,305
Kew Gardens, London953,250
Drayton Manor Park, Staffs.950,000
London Zoo939,597
Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath885,948
American Adventure, Ilkeston860,000
Jorvik Viking Centre, York785,028
Windsor Castle, Windsor769,298
Chester Zoo768,100

26 Mar 2003 : Column 281W

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research her Department has undertaken regarding the estimated cost to the UK tourist industry as a result of the international crisis in the Middle East, broken down by (a) number of visitors by region of the world, (b) amount spent on goods and services and (c) value to the Exchequer; and if she will place a copy of the research in the Library. [103850]

Dr. Howells: DCMS is monitoring the statistics available, such as the ONS International Passenger Survey, but no research has been undertaken. It is not possible to make accurate predictions about the impact on the UK tourism industry of a conflict in the Gulf. Some overseas visitors might be more reluctant to travel, but more British people might choose to holiday in the UK.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourists from overseas there were in the UK in each of the last 10 years, broken down by country of origin. [103788]

Dr. Howells: Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of visits by overseas tourists to the UK in last 10 years, broken down into areas of the world, is as follows.

26 Mar 2003 : Column 282W

Visits by overseas residents
Million

North AmericaWestern EuropeOtherareasTotal World
19933.412.83.619.9
19943.513.24.120.8
19953.815.14.623.5
19963.716.84.725.2
19974.116.74.725.5
19984.616.64.625.7
19994.616.14.725.4
20004.915.45.025.2
20014.214.14.522.8
2002(7)4.315.34.524.2

1. Figures for 2002 are provisional

Data relating to individual countries are available in the National statistics publication "Travel Trends", copies of which are available from the Library of the House.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the impact of (a) foot and mouth disease, (b) events on 11 September 2001 and (c) the possibility of war in Iraq upon (i) the number of visitors to the UK from overseas, (ii) revenues from tourism and (iii) publicly funded support, broken down by region. [103855]

Dr. Howells: It is not possible to assess separately the impact on the UK tourism industry of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease and the attacks on the US of 11 September 2001. However, the number of inbound visits to the UK fell by 9 per cent. between 2000 and 2001. Expenditure by overseas visitors to the UK fell by 12 per cent. over the same period. It is not possible to make accurate predictions about the impact on the UK tourism industry of a conflict in the Gulf. Some overseas visitors might be more reluctant to travel, but more British people might choose to holiday in the UK.

In 2001–02, DCMS allocated £35.5 million in baseline grant in aid to the British Tourist Authority, £9.6 million to the English Tourism Council and £1.9 million to the Greater London Authority for tourism support. To help tourism to recover from the impact of foot and mouth disease, an additional £14.2 million was allocated to the British Tourist Authority and a further £3.8 million was allocated to the English Tourism Council. The additional funds for the British Tourist Authority were used for marketing Britain as a destination, and are not broken down by region. Of the additional £3.8 million for the English Tourism Council, £2 million was spent on regional activity, broken down as follows:

Regional Tourist BoardFunding
Cumbria255,000
East of England185,000
Heart of England235,000
London135,000
Northumbria185,000
North West185,000
South East of England175,000
Southern175,000
South West285,000
Yorkshire185,000
Total2,000,000

In 2002–03, my Department allocated £35.5 million in baseline grant in aid to the British Tourist Authority, £11.6 million to the English Tourism Council and £1.9 million to the Greater London Authority. To help tourism to recover from the impact of the events of 11 September 2001, an additional £19 million was allocated to the British Tourist Authority and a further £1 million was allocated to the English Tourism Council. All these additional funds were used for marketing Britain as a destination, and are not broken down by region.

26 Mar 2003 : Column 283W

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