Exclusive: Tory MP slams Yorkshire Forward over Disney ‘Mickey Mouse’ course

Dewsbury MP Simon Reevell last night derided regional development agency (RDA) Yorkshire Forward for wasting money on a “Mickey Mouse course” and said it represented a prime example of why the organisation was facing abolition.

But Yorkshire Forward, which is due to be wound up next March, defended its tie-up and said the spending was part of its commitment to support tourism.

A spokeswoman also said bringing an official from Disney to Yorkshire represented better value for money than the agency’s initial plan to send 25 delegates from Yorkshire to Florida “to look at best practice customer service”.

The three-day course is due to take place at the National Media Museum in Bradford in June.

Yorkshire Forward was unable to give any details of who will be attending on “privacy grounds” though it said about 30 of the industry’s regional leaders would take part.

A spokeswoman added the course details were currently under discussion but the “bespoke programme” was likely to cover “recruitment, people management, creativity and the Disney ‘chain of excellence’.”

Tory MP Mr Reevell said: “I cannot believe there isn’t a better use for £25,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber – and why it would cost £25,000 to bring someone here to run that course, I just can’t understand. To spend £25,000 of our money on something they can’t really explain or justify is precisely the reason why organisations like Yorkshire Forward are going to cease to exist.

“People looking at this won’t understand why they’re doing it, how it can cost so much and why they thought it was the best use of that money.

“If Yorkshire Forward want to spend what money they have got left before they are wound-up they ought to look around to see what we all agree are good causes rather than bringing people over from the States for Mickey Mouse courses like this.”

Yorkshire Forward said the connection with Disney had developed from a rethink on tourism strategy undertaken three years ago. After research, including feedback from the tourism industry, the agency picked out Disney as the world leader.

In May 2009, Yorkshire Forward sent an official to Disney’s Florida base on what it described as a field trip to see what the company could offer.

That trip, which included a five-day course on Disney’s business model, was paid for by Disney – apart from flight costs of £638 met by Yorkshire Forward.

Following the initial visit, Yorkshire Forward intended to send 25 tourism delegates to Florida but cancelled the trip because of the economic downturn and instead decided to pay for Disney to come to Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Forward chairman Julie Kenny said: “ Following the demand from the tourism industry Yorkshire Forward was committed to learning about and promoting world class customer service – our contact with Disney supported this ambition. The Yorkshire Forward board remain committed to the tourism offer in Yorkshire and we believe it will go from strength to strength.”

A Disney spokeswoman said the quality of the company’s courses were widely recognised and that £25,000 would be a “typical” price for the Yorkshire Forward course.

She said: “The training is extremely valuable. When a company commits to doing the right thing and putting in place the right culture, following great leadership strategies and great customer service strategies, the dollars are not far behind.”

The Government decided to axe RDAs last year, replacing them with local enterprise partnerships.