Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Aphra Brandreth and Stephanie Peacock

Thursday 18th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)]

8. What steps her Department is taking to help support the tourism and leisure sectors.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

Tourism drives growth and jobs across the country, including in Cheshire. VisitBritain’s “Starring GREAT Britain” campaign is showcasing a range of film and TV locations, such as Lyme Park, to global audiences, while our Great British summer savings scheme is encouraging family visits, supporting businesses dependent on summer footfall with a temporary VAT cut on eligible attractions.

[Aphra Brandreth]

Tourism is vital to Chester South and Eddisbury’s economy. From Snugburys and the Ice Cream Farm to BeWILDerwood and Beeston castle, we are fortunate to have fantastic attractions, and I encourage the Minister to visit them. But as one business told me following the Government’s summer savings announcement:

“It feels a bit like having £100 taken off you, then being given £30 back and being expected to be grateful”.

The scheme is a drop in the ocean compared with the costs imposed by this Government’s damaging policies. Will the Minister tell those businesses what more she is doing to support the sector, not just for the summer but for the long term?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady; I know she is a great champion for her constituency, and I know that tourism is incredibly important to her constituency. I recognise the challenges, some of which she has outlined. I have done a number of meetings with the sector. Just this week, I was at the Tourism Alliance’s annual general meeting, and I met VisitScotland last week. We do recognise the challenges, but we think that the Great British summer savings will make a big difference to attractions up and down the country.