My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

My Lords, in the 12 months up to June 1987 UK residents made 19 million holiday trips abroad.

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that impressive figure. Has his attention been drawn to today's edition of the Sun, not page 3 but page 21, which has an article about the worries of British tourists under the heading "Worriers' Hell on Hols" and a similar article in today's edition of the Daily Mail, this time on page 3, entitled: "We are just too worried to have fun on holiday"? Has he any information that might relieve the anxieties of British tourists going on holiday this year?

My Lords, the Sun article to which my noble friend has drawn my attention refers to "sun, sea and sex". According to which of those is worrying him I shall be happy to help my noble friend.

My Lords, bearing in mind that some of us thought that the point of this Question was to throw light on the financing of the National Health Service, will the noble Lord tell us whether he regards himself as the right Minister to answer the Question in the first place?

My Lords, Questions are answered from this Dispatch Box by government spokesmen.

My Lords, is there a possibility that such holidays will be reduced due to the utterances of a certain government Minister who said that people should give up holidays and go in for private health insurance?

My Lords, I do not remember the statement to which the noble Lord is referring. However, the fact is that the number of holidays being taken abroad by British residents is steadily increasing.

My Lords, perhaps I may ask the Minister whether, in view of the figures he has quoted, the Government are satisfied with the level of consumer protection, particulary at the lower end of the package-tour industry and particularly in view of the intensive competition that exists.

My Lords, as the noble Baroness will be aware, that aspect has been a matter for concern for a number of years. However, I am also aware that a number of arrangements have been put in place over the same period. I do not believe that the difficulties have entirely disappeared. However, the situation is better than it once was.

My Lords, was the figure which the Minister gave in his Answer to the Question for the number of holidays abroad or for the number of visits abroad?

My Lords, the figure was for the number of holidays trips abroad. The total number of visits abroad was 26,721,000.

My Lords, does the Minister have a breakdown of those figures? Can he tell the House how many people went to South Africa?

My Lords, I am afraid that I do not have the figures country by country. However, I can tell the noble Lord that out of the total figure of 26,721,000 (to which I referred in answer to the supplementary question of the noble Lord, Lord Wigoder) 19 million people were holiday-makers; 3,474,000 were business travellers; 2,957,000 people were visiting friends and relatives; and 1,138,000 visits were miscellaneous.