VAB46 The Owls Bed and Breakfast

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 Gwely a Brecwast The Owls | Evidence from The Owls Bed and Breakfast

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 feel this is a problematic and controversial proposal.  We need to encourage visitors to Wales - but it is not a level playing field. Even defining a visitor can be difficult.  Are you a visitor if you are visiting family? attending a wedding or a funeral, working in Wales?  spending time in your second home or mobile caravan?  What accommodations would collect these vistor levies?  How will things like AIRBNB  be monitored.  This adds more worry and work and costs to many businesses - is now really the right time to introduce it?  The more visitors we have to Wales (not really second home owners) the better our businesses will do and with that businesses themselves invest - particularly in employing people which generates money from things such as tax,rates etc.  All Wales should be treated equally so the whole of Wles has the chance to invest.

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).

I have tried to read the pages of the PDF as above and really can't comment.  Where would you charge for Day Visitors?  What if people border hop or go more than one attraction?  How the hell are you going to colllect unregulated accommodations such as Air?

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).

Holidays in the UK are expensive so more people will just get their cheaper package holidays abroad.  Extra charges for a day out...come on with the economic climate at the moment are you really mad?

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).

I would like to see what is collected - if this is implemented - distributed to the areas most in need.

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).

I would welcome Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation - however legislation needs to be made now for unregulated accomodation and IMPLEMENTED.

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).

I think you need to to precis all the papers you have attached for the consumption of small business owners - I am educated to Masters Level but have lost the will to live reading some of this stuff.

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).

If the process is easy, fair and clear most providers will conform.  Any enforcement must be swift.  Do you have the manpower to implement all this?

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).

I believe you need to work with and monitor Online Travel Agencies like AIRBNB and Booking.com.  I think you would be suprised at the number of lettings are flying under the radar - avoiding fire regs, insurance, food safety etc and they will not be collecting your levy.