, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Diolch, and very, very important points you've made in terms of that particular line of questioning. Due to those comments, is there consideration that it should be produced on a smaller—that the levy should be produced on a much smaller—pilot basis to test…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Absolutely, I think—
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Okay. Thanks.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Just to say, from that comment, do you feel reassured in terms of that communication between the WRA and Welsh Government? You said that they were clear conversations.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
And in terms of that—
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Diolch. I’m going to move on, then, to a line of questioning around costs of administering the levy, administrative burdens on accommodation providers and other associated questions. You’ve noted so far that you would all welcome further clarity regarding the…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Yes, additionality. Okay, thank you—
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
It's just a comment. I don’t know if you would see—if it would be deemed as part of the tourist destination ideology.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
And just to add to that in terms of the place, in Cardiff, of arts and culture, as a centre across Wales, I presume that there would be consideration around those elements as well, or do you see that as not fitting into the tourist destination box?
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Thanks.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 5
Thank you very much, Cadeirydd. So, section 23 of the Bill provides a list of the types of spending by local authorities that will meet the requirement for spending on destination management improvement. Do the witnesses here feel that these are suitable…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 4
Okay. All right. Thank you, Chair.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 4
So, in terms of it as an iterative process, say there were no local authorities that would pick this up, which I think is highly unlikely, you would then use that transitional process to work your way through this. Is that what you're saying?
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 4
I think so. I think it's clear enough. Finally from me, the Bill is going to allow deduction of costs from visitor levy revenues for the collation and management of the levy. I suppose this is the same sort of questioning line in terms of unknowns, but you…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 4
And that's understandable. Picking up on Mike Hedges’s point that a visitor levy is absolutely common throughout the world and throughout Europe, and especially around major centres, you've highlighted some of the ‘we don't know yet until we've tried it’ et…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 4
Thank you. The RIA mentions there are factors that could increase the cost of implementing a registration service, saying that 'whilst the legislation provides details on the requirements there are some unknown operational requirements, which will only become…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 4
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I don't think that I do share Sam Rowlands's view of John Cleese wandering around a campsite with a clipboard—I thought I'd just mention that. I have more faith. I'm going to move to exploring the WRA costs, as set out in the RIA, if I may…
, Finance Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Thank you. Just to declare that, formerly, in the past, my parents had a property with West Wales Cottages. Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Thank you very much.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
Thank you, and it would be useful for that ministerial working group in March to come to this committee in terms of its update to us. Just finally from me, then, to the Welsh NHS Confederation, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has also told this committee…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6
I'll move to the comments by the Institute for Fiscal Studies to the committee, then. It didn't detect from the draft budget, the IFS, the necessary sense of urgency, it stated, to tackle performance and productivity issues in Welsh public services that it…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 5
Diolch. Moving back, then, to social care, you project an overspend in 2024-25 of £106 million and estimate pressures of £224 million before 2025-26. To what extent are you able to protect social services spending within those budgets and will you be able to…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 5
Indeed, talking around the—. How are you planning, then, for the medium and long term, preparing potentially for worse funding settlements in the future?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 5
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I'm going to talk in terms of the financial pressures for 2024-25 and 2025-26 around staff pay. There are a number of transfers into the settlement, as you know, for pay-related purposes. So, in terms of your roles, are you satisfied with…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Delivering for Wales
First Minister, thank you very much for your statement today. I wholeheartedly agree, 2025 is about delivery, more pace, more action, more results, and we all know that there is much dissatisfaction across the world from ordinary citizens. And since the…
