I, too, congratulate the Committee on undertaking this vital inquiry in order to raise the profile of our heritage and ultimately to influence policy to promote, preserve and protect that heritage. I want to take the opportunity to add my own regional perspective to the debate. My speech falls within the original terms of reference for the inquiry. I hope that I have hon. Members’ indulgence and I shall try not to stray too far from the original terms of reference. I am aware that the report concentrates on built heritage, but I note on page 6 that there will be a follow-up inquiry. I hope that my contribution will be drawn on during that inquiry.

As the Government have acknowledged, finding a shared understanding of Britishness requires us to encompass diversity. My work in the Home Office gives me an insight into the challenges of adapting Britishness to the 21st century as we seek to build a society in which people from hundreds of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities share a sense of national belonging. Many people involved in the national debate seem to forget that that challenge is nothing new. Britain has always been an island of variation, in which regional identity goes hand in hand with national identity.

Those listening to me speak today will be able to identify me with my region, and I am proud to represent Gateshead and Washington and, in doing so, to represent the wider north-east. I have spoken before about the spirit of hard work and camaraderie that runs through the veins of the north-east, which is a region that is fiercely proud of its shared heritage. I was shocked to learn this week that a visa application for a holiday in Gateshead had been turned down because the civil servant in question could see no reason why anyone would want to visit Gateshead for a holiday. I am sure that my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson) will join me in being astounded by that. A quick investigation into visitor attractions would reveal that there are more than 54 reasons to visit Gateshead, and those 54 reasons can be found in Gateshead alone. The wider north-east has much more to offer: stunning cityscapes and some of the best beaches in Britain, as well as castles—the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) will testify to that—and rolling countryside. All together, there is a rich regional heritage to explore.

Much of that heritage lies in our industrial background. I am working with my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Dr. Blackman-Woods) to try to commission a series of commemorative stamps to mark the 125th anniversary of the Durham miners’ gala. The Big Meet, as it is known locally, has survived the depletion of the mining industry and is an important part not only of the north-east’s heritage but Britain’s industrial heritage. It continues to draw northern communities together and it is a testament to the solidarity of the north-east workers. Many hon. Members have added their support to the campaign and I hope that we will gain the Government’s support.

I believe that the north-east is a leading example of preserving heritage across Britain, especially across the cultural sector. One project that is leading the cultural resurgence is Renaissance North East, which is part of the wider renaissance in the regions programme that is transforming our museums. So far, it is proving to be one of the most beneficial projects ever run by the DCMS. The statistics speak for themselves. Educational visits to north-east museums have almost doubled, increasing from 80,000 to 140,000 in just three years. Overall visits are up a fifth and the number of children engaged by museums has risen by a phenomenal 6,500 per cent. Much of that increase includes children from the poorest parts of our society.

Polling data shows that visitors to north-east museums are more satisfied with their experience than those anywhere else in the country, but numbers alone cannot tell the story. Children on educational visits are increasingly likely to return with their parents.

The renaissance programme requires renewed funding so that it can fire on all cylinders, not only in the north-east but throughout the UK. The programme has already seen the creation of 500 new jobs and that can only lead to many more. With much departmental funding needed for the Olympics, as many hon. Members have mentioned today, I would nevertheless compel Ministers to try to find the extra £15 million that is needed to take the project forward to the whole country. Of course, my constituency would benefit greatly from a training camp at Gateshead international stadium, as the increased profile that that would provide would leave a sporting legacy and the extra investment would enable us to keep our foot to the floor with regard to cultural regeneration and preservation.

I shall highlight one more project that is capable of further including the people of the north-east in protecting our heritage. I have been working again with my north-east colleagues, especially my hon. Friends the Members for City of Durham and for Stockton, South (Ms Taylor), and with my predecessor as MP for my constituency, Baroness Quin, to try to ensure that the Lindisfarne gospels are returned to the north-east. I know that my hon. Friend the Minister is well aware of that undertaking. We have met him and we will soon meet representatives of the British Library. If we all co-operate, the return of the gospels is a real possibility.

The gospels are icons of the heritage of the north-east. The last time they were in the north-east, people queued for half a mile to see them. With the best will in the world, I cannot imagine such queues forming at the British Library. The return of the gospels is also a matter of social justice. As hon. Members in this Chamber will be well aware, it is a 600-mile trip to go from the north-east to London and back, and many people in the north-east simply cannot afford to make that trip.

I also point out that the colours used to create the gospels were extracted from local plants and minerals nearly 1,500 years ago in what was the kingdom of Northumbria. They are literally, therefore, a part of the north-east. More than 180,000 people visited the gospels when they were last on display in the north-east, and if they were returned, many more visitors would be expected. I know that the Minister is aware of the case and I look forward to meeting representatives of the British Library. I hope that the Select Committee might look into the case when it next meets. If we are serious about preserving our heritage we need to be serious about sharing it. The chance to share such an evocative piece of our heritage with perhaps a quarter of a million people is, in my opinion, too good to turn down.

I am grateful to hon. Members for listening to me this afternoon. I hope that I have contributed a regional perspective to the debate. The battle to preserve our cultural heritage is being fought on many fronts. At regional level, people continue to live their heritage, not least through local terminology and local knowledge. That is why I believe in regional renaissance—linking the local with the national to create a shared heritage that we can preserve for many years to come.