VAB10 Arete Oudoor Centre  

Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament

Y Pwyllgor Cyllid | Finance Committee

Bil Llety Ymwelwyr (Cofrestr ac Ardoll) Etc. (Cymru) | Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill

Ymateb gan Canolfan Awyr Agored Arete | Evidence from Arete Oudoor Centre

General principles

1. What are your views on the general principles of the Bill and the need for legislation to deliver the Welsh Government’s stated policy objective, which is to:

§    ensure a more even share of costs to fund local services and infrastructure that benefit visitors between resident populations and visitors;

§    provide local authorities with the ability to generate additional revenue that can be invested back into local services and infrastructure to support tourism;

§    support the Welsh Government’s ambitions for sustainable tourism?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

I support the general principles, but exemption needs to be for school pupils attending outdoor residential courses

The Bill’s implementation

The Regulatory Impact Assessment is set out in Part 2 of the Explanatory Memorandum (https://senedd.wales/media/g5ipwvwh/pri-ld16812-em-e.pdf). This includes the Welsh Government’s assessments of the financial and other impacts of the Bill and its implementation.

2. Are there any potential barriers to the implementation of the Bill’s provisions? If so, what are they, and are they adequately taken into account in the Bill and accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

3. Are any unintended consequences likely to arise from the Bill?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

At Arete Outdoor Centre, Llanrug, we have the accommodation capacity for up to 100 pupils to stay while on an outdoor residential. Last year we accommodated over 11000 bed nights, that at 0.75 p levy per person per night would add on over £8000 in extra expenses for ourselves. We are not for profit and fund many pupil places, with a typical 5 day course being £250-300 including activities or it is a £60 portion for the 4 nights of accommodation. This extra expense of £8000+ would be highly significant.

Proportionally the levy certainly has much greater significance to ourselves than hotel or Airbnb accommodation that is 10 to 20 times more expensive than ourselves.

The points are even more poignant considering the Senedd recently acknowledged the importance of Outdoor Education to young people's development from the members bill.

 

4. What are your views on the Welsh Government’s assessment of the financial and other impacts of the Bill?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

The financial implications for outdoor centres is very significant working at high numbers while providing educational residential courses as cheaply as possible to pupils as part of their curriculum.  This is not the same as regular tourists at hotels and airbnb's.  Even the local school staying will be charged the same amount.

Subordinate legislation

The powers to make subordinate legislation are set out in Part 1: Chapter 5 of the Explanatory Memorandum (https://senedd.wales/media/g5ipwvwh/pri-ld16812-em-e.pdf).

The Welsh Government has also set out its statement of policy intent for subordinate legislation (https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s155951/Statement%20of%20Policy%20Intent.pdf).

5. What are your views on the balance between the information contained on the face of the Bill and what is left to subordinate legislation? Are the powers for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation appropriate?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

Other considerations

6. Do you have any views on matters related to the quality of the legislation?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

7. On 26 November, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to the Finance Committee with some indicative additional registration and enforcement provisions (https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s155952/Letter%20from%20the%20Cabinet%20Secretary%20for%20Finance%20and%20Welsh%20Language%20Indicative%20Stage%202%20amendments%20that%20.pdf) he intends to bring forward at Stage 2 of the legislative process (https://senedd.wales/NAfW%20Documents/Assembly%20Business%20section%20documents/Guide%20to%20the%20Legislative%20Process/Guide_to_the_Legislative_Process-eng.pdf).

Do you have any views on the indicative additional registration and enforcement provisions the Welsh Government intends to bring forward at Stage 2?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).

8. Are there any other issues that you would like to raise about the Bill, the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment, or any related matters?

(We would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 500 words).