New Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, assured the tourism industry that both her 'ministerial door and ministerial mind' were open to ensure that the sector grows stronger. Speaking at the CBI's Tourism UK conference in London yesterday, Jowell responded to business concerns that the industry's voice was not heard in government: I will speak with the authority for the industry as, say, the DTI does for the automotive industry, she said. Jowell agreed with chair of the CBI's Tourism Action Group, Michael Jolly, that foot and mouth had brought to light the industry's lack of voice, fragmentation and poor data resources and said DCMS would work with the industry to address the issues 'every step of the way'. Tussaud's Group chair, Jolly, welcomed Jowell's announcement of £1.26m funding for a five-year industry forum to help build competitiveness, and also promised a dialogue on regulation and how it can be improved or dropped to benefit the industry.