Meetings
NDM7990 Welsh Conservatives debate - Tourism
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Meeting: 27/04/2022 - Plenary (Item 5)
Welsh Conservatives debate - Tourism
NDM7990 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Celebrates Wales's strength as a
world-class tourist destination.
2. Regrets the devastating impact of COVID
restrictions on the tourism industry in Wales.
3. Believes that the Welsh Government's
proposed changes to the non-domestic ratings system will undermine many holiday
letting businesses.
4. Notes Wales Tourism Alliance data that
shows a large majority of businesses will be unable to meet the criteria to
qualify as a holiday let business.
5. Calls on the Welsh Government to:
a) abandon damaging proposals for a tourism
tax in Wales;
b) acknowledge that the majority of
responses to its consultation oppose the proposed non-domestic rates changes
for holiday lets;
c) scrap plans to extend the number of days
that a property must be let in order to meet the non-domestic rating
requirement.
The following amendment was tabled:
Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths
(Wrexham)
Delete all and replace with:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Recognises the world
class strength of Welsh tourism and welcomes the significant support provided
to the tourism industry and operators by the Welsh Government through the COVID
pandemic.
2. Recognises the United
Nations World Tourism Organization’s definition of sustainable tourism
development: “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future
economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors,
the industry, the environment and host communities"
3. Recognises that
tourism levies are common place across the world, with revenues used to the
benefit of local communities, tourists and businesses, which in turn help make
tourism sustainable and successful.
4. Welcomes the
commitment to introduce local tourism levies which will allow local authorities
to raise a tourism levy if they choose to do so.
5. Notes the intention to
undertake a major consultation during autumn 2022 as part of a careful process
of developing proposals for a levy, which will involve communities, businesses
and operators and further notes that the process of translating those proposals
into legislation will be subject to detailed scrutiny and approval by the
Senedd.
6. Welcomes the Senedd’s
decision on 22 March to approve the Council Tax (Long-term Empty Dwellings and
Dwellings Occupied Periodically) (Wales) Regulations 2022, introduced as part
of the wider commitment to address the issue of second homes and unaffordable
housing facing many communities in Wales and to tackle the housing crisis
7. Welcomes the
commitment to act on the wide-ranging consultations undertaken to date to
ensure genuine self-catered accommodation is distinguished from domestic
properties with regard to local taxes and notes that a technical consultation
on draft regulations to amend the lettings criteria for self-catering
accommodations undertaken as part of taking forward this commitment closed on
12 April; the responses to which are currently being analysed.
Minutes:
The item started at 15.13
Voting on the motion and amendments under
this item was deferred until Voting Time.
A vote was taken on the motion without
amendment:
NDM7990 Darren
Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Celebrates Wales's strength as a
world-class tourist destination.
2. Regrets the devastating impact of COVID
restrictions on the tourism industry in Wales.
3. Believes that the Welsh Government's
proposed changes to the non-domestic ratings system will undermine many holiday
letting businesses.
4. Notes Wales Tourism Alliance data that
shows a large majority of businesses will be unable to meet the criteria to
qualify as a holiday let business.
5. Calls on the Welsh Government to:
a) abandon damaging proposals for a tourism
tax in Wales;
b) acknowledge that the majority of
responses to its consultation oppose the proposed non-domestic rates changes
for holiday lets;
c) scrap plans to extend the number of days
that a property must be let in order to meet the non-domestic rating
requirement.
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
15 |
0 |
34 |
49 |
The motion without amendment was not agreed.
The following amendments were tabled:
Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths
(Wrexham)
Delete all and replace with:
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Recognises the world
class strength of Welsh tourism and welcomes the significant support provided
to the tourism industry and operators by the Welsh Government through the COVID
pandemic.
2. Recognises the United
Nations World Tourism Organization’s definition of sustainable tourism
development: “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future
economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors,
the industry, the environment and host communities"
3. Recognises that tourism
levies are common place across the world, with revenues used to the benefit of
local communities, tourists and businesses, which in turn help make tourism
sustainable and successful.
4. Welcomes the commitment
to introduce local tourism levies which will allow local authorities to raise a
tourism levy if they choose to do so.
5. Notes the intention to
undertake a major consultation during autumn 2022 as part of a careful process
of developing proposals for a levy, which will involve communities, businesses
and operators and further notes that the process of translating those proposals
into legislation will be subject to detailed scrutiny and approval by the
Senedd.
6. Welcomes the Senedd’s
decision on 22 March to approve the Council Tax (Long-term Empty Dwellings and
Dwellings Occupied Periodically) (Wales) Regulations 2022, introduced as part
of the wider commitment to address the issue of second homes and unaffordable
housing facing many communities in Wales and to tackle the housing crisis
7. Welcomes the commitment
to act on the wide-ranging consultations undertaken to date to ensure genuine
self-catered accommodation is distinguished from domestic properties with
regard to local taxes and notes that a technical consultation on draft
regulations to amend the lettings criteria for self-catering accommodations
undertaken as part of taking forward this commitment closed on 12 April; the
responses to which are currently being analysed.
A vote was taken on amendment 1:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
34 |
0 |
15 |
49 |
Amendment 1 was agreed.
A vote was taken on the motion as amended:
NDM7990 Darren
Millar (Clwyd West)
To propose that the Senedd:
1. Recognises the world class
strength of Welsh tourism and welcomes the significant support provided to the
tourism industry and operators by the Welsh Government through the COVID
pandemic.
2. Recognises the United
Nations World Tourism Organization’s definition of sustainable tourism
development: “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future
economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors,
the industry, the environment and host communities"
3. Recognises that tourism
levies are common place across the world, with revenues used to the benefit of
local communities, tourists and businesses, which in turn help make tourism
sustainable and successful.
4. Welcomes the commitment
to introduce local tourism levies which will allow local authorities to raise a
tourism levy if they choose to do so.
5. Notes the intention to
undertake a major consultation during autumn 2022 as part of a careful process
of developing proposals for a levy, which will involve communities, businesses
and operators and further notes that the process of translating those proposals
into legislation will be subject to detailed scrutiny and approval by the
Senedd.
6. Welcomes the Senedd’s
decision on 22 March to approve the Council Tax (Long-term Empty Dwellings and
Dwellings Occupied Periodically) (Wales) Regulations 2022, introduced as part
of the wider commitment to address the issue of second homes and unaffordable
housing facing many communities in Wales and to tackle the housing crisis
7. Welcomes the commitment
to act on the wide-ranging consultations undertaken to date to ensure genuine
self-catered accommodation is distinguished from domestic properties with
regard to local taxes and notes that a technical consultation on draft
regulations to amend the lettings criteria for self-catering accommodations
undertaken as part of taking forward this commitment closed on 12 April; the
responses to which are currently being analysed.
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
34 |
0 |
15 |
49 |
The motion as amended was agreed.