To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department provided to each of the regional development agencies for the promotion of tourism in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what the (a) purpose and (b) value of each such payment was; and what further such expenditure he plans in the next three years. (191370)

Funding for regional development agencies (RDAs) is not ring-fenced for particular economic sectors such as tourism. In each year since 2003-04, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has contributed £3.6 million to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform’s (DBERR’s) Single Programme budget (the “Single Pot”) in respect of the tourism responsibilities of the eight regional development agencies (RDAs) outside London. The Single Pot, which will total approximately £2.2 billion, £2.2 billion and £2.1billion in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively, is allocated among the RDAs by DBERR. The DCMS’s contribution will be £3.5 million, £3.4 million and £3.3 million in these years.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is responsible for tourism in London. The DCMS has provided £1.9 million each year since 2001-02 to the GLA to support the Mayor in the delivery of the GLA’s statutory tourism duties. The GLA and the London Development Agency report total spending of around £22 million on tourism support in 2006-07.

Since 2003-04, all the RDAs have developed regional tourism strategies, budgets, and delivery mechanisms, and worked with regional partners and VisitBritain to promote and develop their region’s tourism industry. The RDAs outside London reported total spending on tourism support of £29.8 million in 2006-07.