Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Tuesday, 18 July 2006.

VisitBritain: Chairman

Question: My Lords, is not the lack of attention paid by the DCMS over the chairmanship of VisitBritain entirely consistent with the approach taken by other parts of Government? The Minister will of course remember the letter from the Prime Minister to the Secretary of State in May which set out seven challenges for the DCMS—the 2012 Olympics, the BBC charter, digital switchover and so it goes on, with not a single mention of tourism. How can the Minister explain that, when tourism accounts for some 6.5 per cent of gross domestic product?

Answer: My Lords, if the noble Lord is about to list the achievements of the Government I offer him every encouragement, but, in addition to winning the Olympic Games, there is the success of tourism. He may not have noticed—the House will have done—that tourism increased by 9 per cent last year in this country, and its value by 8 per cent. It is a growth industry because we have increasingly attractive provision for overseas tourists. Noble Lords opposite may suggest a picture of gloom, but this, far from it, is a picture of undoubted success under a Labour Administration.

Secondary information