RYEDALE'S tourism industry will be boosted by £300,000 from the district council this year.

Coun Howard Keal said the investment would protect the services of tourist information centres in the district and help sustain 3,500 related jobs in the area.

He said the centre in Malton dealt with 120,000 inquiries last year and the council produced 300,000 events leaflets. He said: "We can't pull the rug from under that success".

The defence of the spending on tourism followed a proposal by Liberal councillor John Clark to freeze council tax demands this year.

Coun Clark questioned whether the council should invest such a sum on tourism.

He said: "We are subsidising those who are paying minimum wages. We should aim to keep the council tax increases at zero."

Coun Chris Parkin, a leading hotelier, said few local businesses did not benefit from tourist trade, adding that the district council earned £300,000 a year from car parking.

And Coun Allin Jenkins opposed the bid to freeze council tax, labelling it as "short-term gain, but long-term pain", because it would result in a cut in grant from the Government.

Coun Keal said the likely council tax increase for the coming financial year would be three per cent, which amounted to 10p a week for average council tax payers.