Minister of State Department for Culture, Media and Sport(Sir
): Today we are announcing
that the second stage of the Public Body Review into the British
Tourist Authority is underway.
The Public Bodies Review programme delivers against the
commitments made in the Declaration on Government Reform to
increase both the effectiveness of Public Bodies and departmental
sponsorship, making Government work better in service of the
public. Public Body Reviews will be underpinned by broad minimum
requirements covering efficiency, efficacy, accountability and
governance. The review will follow guidance published in April
2022 by the Cabinet Office: ‘Guidance on the undertaking of
Reviews of Public Bodies’.
The British Tourist Authority trades as both VisitEngland and
VisitBritain, both of which are classed as Executive
Non-Departmental Public Bodies of DCMS. The British Tourist
Authority was set up by the Development of Tourism Act 1969, with
its main aim being to support the development of Great Britain’s
tourism industry.
The Department agreed to commence a full-scale review into the
British Tourist Authority. Emir Feisal has been appointed as the
independent Lead Reviewer to lead the review. He will work with a
Review Team composed of officials from the Department. The Review
Team has drafted the Terms of Reference for the review in
consultation with the Lead Reviewer, the Department and the
British Tourist Authority. These set the scope of the review and,
among other things, will cover how the British Tourist Authority
is supporting places across every part of the UK to develop and
market a high-quality tourist offering, boosting jobs, and
helping to level up the economy. In conducting the review,
officials will engage with a broad range of stakeholders in the
tourism sector across the UK.
As set out by the Cabinet Office guidance, the review will report
to the Government, and the Government will publish the
conclusions of the review alongside any Departmental response in
due course.
