Bid for tourism minister looks to have failed

Calls for the tourism industry to be given its own minister of state appear to have been ignored. In the run-up to the election, the British Hospitality Association and prominent members of the industry had been campaigning for a level of parliamentary under-secretary at which tourism is currently represented. As part of the ministerial reshuffle announced in the wake of Labour's election victory last week, Janet Anderson, the parliamentary under-secretary with direct responsibility for tourism, has been sacked. She has been replaced at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport by Dr Kim Howells, who retains the title of under-secretary. He comes from the Department of Trade and Industry, where he was minister for consumers and corporate affairs. Howells's new brief is expected to include tourism and broadcasting, although exact details are yet to be announced. Chris Smith, secretary of state at the DCMS, has also been sacked. He was replaced last Friday by Tessa Jowell, previously a junior minister in the department for education and employment.