Economy: Culture and the Arts

Baroness Seccombe Excerpts

Thursday 13th June 2013 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Seccombe]

My Lords, I, too, congratulate my noble friend Lady Wheatcroft on initiating this debate and I hope that she and other noble Lords will forgive me for concentrating on a small segment of culture and arts—tourism and the contribution it makes to the economy.

I am more than fortunate to live in Stratford-upon-Avon. It is a town of historic interest and a much-valued part of our heritage. I often marvel at the range of languages one hears daily on the streets and the support for the annual celebration of William Shakespeare’s birthday is remarkable. People come from all over the world carrying flowers with banners displaying their home country. The lengthy and special procession proceeds through the town with the town band playing and the flags of all the countries flying. It is a glimpse of just one day in the year when we can celebrate all that our legendary poet has bequeathed us.

In this country we are indeed fortunate to have so many important sites that attract thousands to our shores but unless these properties are cared for and promoted to their full potential the country misses golden opportunities to increase both the cultural and financial benefit. I pay tribute to Governments over the years who having realised the opportunities have given generous support in sponsorship. The National Trust has also played a major role by restoring and caring for the fabric of properties of differing types, from the grand houses to the comparatively humble dwellings of the past.

In Stratford we are blessed among our treasures with fine theatres, and the redevelopment of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre has been an inspiration. The town thrives on the success of visitors. Some 6,300 people are employed locally in the tourist industry with an additional 1,700 indirect jobs. That generates £335 million annually for the local economy. No wonder that tourism is the fastest growing industry in the land.

It is essential that tourism, as with any other industry, is nurtured and enhanced to ensure that visitors do not only come once but return. This is even more important in financially challenging times when industries have to stand on their own feet and not look to Government for continuous financial support. I was therefore delighted to read that local businesses supported by the adjoining local authorities have launched a campaign called Shakespeare’s England. The aim is to maximise business opportunities in the area. It is particularly apt to launch this now as next year we will be celebrating the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth.

We are so fortunate to have many historic venues including Warwick Castle and other grand houses set in the wonder of the beautiful countryside with its wealth of leafy lanes. I do not wish to sound like a travel advertisement but it seems to me that genuine enthusiasm and attention to making the most of our heritage is fundamentally important for the wealth of the country.

Successful tourism can be achieved only by offering events for every taste—some may not appeal to me but I am glad they exist as I hope they will appeal to others and no doubt if they do not they will soon disappear from the calendar. I hope that we will concentrate on offering visitors worthwhile and memorable projects that can be a source of great pleasure to many people.

I have referred only to one county but I am confident that there is frantic activity countrywide. Unquestionably, people around the world are hungry to learn about the past. They want to know what made people tick and how they lived, and they want further information about our history and the effect that events of former times have on our lives today. We all share that interest and so I believe each of us has a duty to understand the worst and preserve the best of the past. We see so much beauty around us but we should never take it all for granted. I feel very privileged to be able to share these gifts with visitors as I know it makes such good sense and enriches the lives of everyone.