Stonehenge

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of the shortlisted options for the A303 at Stonehenge in the first year after their construction on (a) visitor numbers and (b) income generated from visitors to Stonehenge. (85739)

The specific impact of each A303 option on commercial performance at Stonehenge has not been modelled. However, should English Heritage's plans for a new visitor centre and access arrangements at Stonehenge go ahead, along with the published scheme for improvements to the A303, it is estimated that visitor numbers are likely to stay the same as at present. Any increase in visitor spending is likely to be balanced by the cost of operating the new facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much income has been generated from visitors to Stonehenge in each year since 1997. (85740)

The net income (not profit) generated from visitors to Stonehenge in each year since 1997 is as follows:

	£
1996-97	3,156,883
1997-98	3,310,350
1998-99	3,755,389
1999-2000	4,036,315
2000-01	¹3,827,769
2001-02	¹3,554,282
2002-03	3,854,550
2003-04	4,260,664
2004-05	4,669,575
2005-06	4,794,121
¹ Decline in income in years 2000-01 and 2001-02 reflects the decline in visitors during the foot and mouth crisis and the aftermath of 9/11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of visitors to heritage sites in the vicinity of Stonehenge in each year since 1997. (85741)

The only English Heritage site in the vicinity of Stonehenge is Old Sarum. Other key sites in the area are Salisbury Cathedral and Wilton House. The visitor figures from 1997 for Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral are given in the table. Visitor figures for Wilton House will follow shortly:

*Number*
	Old Sarum	Salisbury Cathedral¹
1996-97	80,390	340,000
1997-98	76,372	338,000
1998-99	80,691	332,000
1999-2000	81,378	331,000
2000-01	75,921	313,000
2001-02	70,868	262,000
2002-03	65,818	263,000
2003-04	58,299	244,000
2004-05	53,977	271,000
2005-06	48,637	268,000
¹ Salisbury Cathedral does not charge entry fees, therefore figures are approximate and do not include people attending services, concerts or visiting the Close generally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the likely effect on the number of visitors to heritage sites in the vicinity of Stonehenge of each of the shortlisted options for the A303 at Stonehenge in the first year after construction. (85742)

Visitor number projections resulting from the construction of any of the shortlisted options for the A303 are not available.

However, South West Tourism has identified Stonehenge and Salisbury as a key destination for regional tourism. Should the published road scheme be approved, it will enable English Heritage to make major improvements to the visitor experience at Stonehenge, encourage a longer stay in the region and potentially benefit attractions such as Salisbury Cathedral and other local heritage sites and museums.

Volume 449: debated on Monday 17 July 2006