Oral Answers to Questions

Mark Menzies Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vaizey]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is why we have seen an increase in the number of students taking arts GCSEs, for example.

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

6. What steps he has taken to promote tourism and develop the tourism industry throughout England.

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

We have invested a total of £10 million in VisitEngland’s Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign, with the fourth campaign launching this spring. VisitEngland is also promoting and developing domestic tourism through its Growing Tourism Locally campaign.

[Mark Menzies]

My constituency enjoys a vibrant tourist economy that includes Royal Lytham & St Annes golf club, Lytham music festival and Ribby Hall village, to name but a few. What steps is the Minister taking to promote further tourism investment growth in the north-west?

[Mrs Grant]

The Government have recently announced £10 million of funding for tourism in the north of England, which is very good news for my hon. Friend’s constituency, the wider north-west and tourism across the north of England. We hope that the agreed project will commence this April.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jo Swinson]

I very much welcome the hon. Lady setting out her constituent’s campaign, and I will be happy to look at it as it sounds excellent. We all agree that tackling homophobic bullying must be a real priority for the reasons that she outlined in her question, and because of the impact that it has on LGBT young people, and indeed other young people, as this issue also affects those who are not LGBT.

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

Homophobic bullying in schools is completely unacceptable. Will the Minister ensure that Ofsted is getting the message through to head teachers and schools that they must do everything in their power to eradicate that wicked thing?

[Jo Swinson]

The short answer is yes, and the national professional qualification for headship contains information on how to tackle bullying, including homophobic bullying.