Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential (1) costs, and (2) benefits, of reintroducing tax-free shopping for international visitors, including the impact on (a) retail sales, (b) employment levels, and (c) economic recovery.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As set out at Spring Budget 2024, the government is considering the findings of the OBR’s review of the original costing of the withdrawal of tax-free shopping, published in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 6 March, alongside industry representations and broader data. The government welcomes further submissions in response to the OBR’s findings.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions has he had with businesses on tax-free shopping for international visitors.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As the UK’s economic and finance ministry, HM Treasury has regular discussions with representatives from a wide range of industries including travel and retail as well as business representative organisations covering many sectors.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of construction work being undertaken at Old Oak Common station on (a) local rail disruption and (b) businesses that support tourism in the South West.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is working with Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Transport for London (TfL) and train operators to minimise disruption.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that the visitor economy supports the maintenance and upkeep of heritage assets.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The visitor economy has a significant and positive impact on the support and maintenance of our heritage assets. In 2021, despite COVID-19 restrictions, there were over 119 million domestic day visits to heritage sites, 15 million domestic overnight heritage trips, and 2.74 million international visits to heritage sites, demonstrating that heritage is a major driver for both international and domestic tourism, and a key source of income for local people. Twenty-eight per cent of international visits include a castle or historic house, according to VisitBritain research.
The Tourism Recovery Plan, published in 2021, set out the Government's commitment to the enhancement and conservation of the country’s cultural heritage. Our investment in supporting the conservation of tourism assets included the £67 million in capital funding for maintenance and restoration projects for historic sites and destinations through the Heritage Stimulus Fund and National Lottery Heritage Fund Kickstarter funds. We have also established the Tourism Industry Council Working Group on Sustainability with the British Tourism Authority to drive forward this objective.
Following the Review into Destination Management Organisations, the new Local Visitor Economy Partnership accreditation programme will ensure that organisations work in collaboration locally, regionally, and nationally on shared priorities and targets. This includes marketing and promotion of local cultural heritage sites and destinations. There are now 30 newly accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships across England.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many people from (a) the UK and (b) overseas, excluding speakers and hosts, were projected to visit in person the UK House venue run by her Department at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games from 28 July to 8 August 2022 in the final business case approved by her Department for that event.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK House was part of the wider Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Tourism, Trade & Investment Programme business case led by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) & West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for International Trade and Visit Britain.
The final business case provides no UK House visitor projections, either virtually or in person.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many individuals were projected to visit virtually the UK House venue run by her Department at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games from 28 July to 8 August 2022 in the final business case approved by her Department for that event.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK House was part of the wider Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Tourism, Trade & Investment Programme business case led by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) & West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for International Trade and Visit Britain.
The final business case provides no UK House visitor projections, either virtually or in person.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on tourism-related businesses of recent significant increases in fees charged by some airports for vehicles to drop off passengers, and what recent discussions they have had with representatives of the aviation industry about the transparency of the overall structure of their fees and charges.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws.
While the Department for Transport regularly engages with airports and airport operators on a range of issues, the provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify and therefore no assessment has been made on any impact on fees charged by airports for vehicles to drop off passengers.
However, the Department expects car parking and drop off charges at airports to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to publish a national policy statement on visitor attractions.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government has committed to updating a number of National Policy Statements which will support the Government’s long-term ambitions to improve infrastructure, productivity and energy generation across the country.
Whilst we do not have current plans to introduce a National Policy Statement for visitor attractions, we would be happy to receive further representations on this issue.
Certain business and commercial projects, which could include projects relating to leisure and tourism, can, on request, be directed into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects consenting regime, provided the Secretary of State is satisfied that such projects are ones of national significance.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many sailors have completed the Navy’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The following table provides the requested information:
Sector | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 * |
Business, Administration and Law | 75 | 52 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 846 | 578 | 362 | 801 | 274 |
Health, Public Services and Care | 414 | 303 | 245 | 387 | 106 |
Information and Communication Technology | 364 | 392 | 83 | 18 | 21 |
Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 110 | 39 | 54 | 113 | 45 |
Grand Total | 1,803 | 1,374 | 751 | 1,319 | 446 |
*Information covers period to date.
Information provided by Training Management Group, Directorate of Personnel and Training.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have completed the RAF’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The below table details the number of people who have completed the Royal Air Force Apprenticeship programme and the sectors in which those apprenticeships have been completed.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Health, Public Services and Care | 141 | 278 | 43 | 220 | 175 | 14 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 738 | 567 | 494 | 475 | 487 | 84 |
Information and Communication Technology | 135 | 219 | 221 | 218 | 247 | 36 |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 74 | 118 | 97 | 126 | 111 | 6 |
Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 0 | 3 | 27 | 21 | 13 | 0 |
Arts, Media, and Publishing | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
Data for 2024 is from 1 January 2024 to 8 March 2024