8. To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government that she rule out a bed tax as an option for local government finance. (99153)

The Government will not take any decisions on changes to local government finance until it has had the chance to consider the independent Lyons report which will be delivered to ministers in December 2006. DCMS Ministers will continue to represent tourism industry interests in this as in other cross-Government policy areas.

14. To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the implications for tourism of a bed tax; and if she will make a statement. (99159)

The Lyons Inquiry is an independent review, and it has not yet made any recommendations. DCMS Ministers will fully assess the potential impact of Sir Michael’s recommendations once he has made them, and will respond accordingly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of rural tourism offices which have closed in the last 12 months. (99164)

There are around 500 Tourist Information Centres in England. Most of them are managed by local authorities as part of their discretionary support for tourism. We know of four in rural areas that have been closed and not replaced by any other provision in the last 12 months, and two new ones that have opened.