Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chris Bryant and Wendy Morton

Thursday 28th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Chris Bryant]

The irony is, we have already had two debates on these issues in the last fortnight—thanks to you, Mr Speaker.

First, I welcome the hon. Member to his place and his new responsibilities. I look forward to working with him.

The truth of the matter is that the tourism industry has really struggled over the last few years, partly because of Brexit and partly because of covid. Under the last few years of the Conservative Government, it did not get back to its pre-covid level of 41 million visitors to the UK—it is now at 38 million. As I said, I want us to get to 50 million by 2030. The only way we are going to do that is if we significantly improve the offer at every stage of the experience of visitors coming to the United Kingdom.

Yes, there are undoubtedly challenges for the hospitality industry—I said this in a speech yesterday afternoon—but the thing that really worries me is that historically we in this country have seen a job in the industry as something that someone has to do when they have not got another job. I want to change that so that it is a career to be proud of; something respectable that someone might do for their whole life.

[Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)]

3. Whether she has had recent representations from society lotteries on the potential merits of zero-rating those organisations under any future statutory levy on gambling operators.