Oral Answers to Questions

Lee Rowley Excerpts

Thursday 16th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Adams]

The hon. Lady makes a very good point. It is really important that people over 75 who are on their own are able to get their TV licences paid, but I remind her of the words of the former shadow Secretary of State, Tom Watson, who had the very good sense to leave this place before the election. He actually admitted that this was a decision for the BBC. In an interview with LBC in late 2018, he actually criticised the BBC for accepting this deal. I will say again that Lord Hall said that the overall deal provided “financial stability”, and the

“government’s decision here to put the cost of the over-75s on us has been more than matched by the deal coming back for the BBC.”

[Lee Rowley (North East Derbyshire) (Con)]

3. What steps her Department is taking to support the tourism industry throughout the UK.

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

11. What steps her Department is taking to support the tourism industry throughout the UK.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Helen Whately)]

Tourism contributes £60 billion to the UK economy each year and my Department is committed to encouraging visitors from across the world to visit the whole United Kingdom. Our strong and growing tourism industry is good news for the economy and local communities, supporting small businesses and jobs up and down our country. The tourism sector deal will help to solve some of the industry’s challenges and establish tourism zones in areas with great tourism ambitions. The £45 million Discover England fund encourages visitors to travel beyond London, contributing to levelling up across the country.

[Lee Rowley]

I thank the Minister for her response. As she will know, in constituencies such as mine, the tourism industry is heavily based on our industrial heritage and history. The Chesterfield Canal Trust is midway through a restoration to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2027; it is restoring the final nine miles of the canal. May I invite my hon. Friend to visit the Chesterfield canal to see the fantastic tourist offer in North East Derbyshire?

[Helen Whately]

I know that my hon. Friend has been working hard and lobbying a range of Ministers to support the regeneration of the Chesterfield canal—rightly so, as it is a fabulously ambitious project to restore that historic and beautiful waterway in time for its 250th anniversary. I would be delighted to visit to find out more.