, Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
I thank Heledd, who talked about how we could use this, because it's not the best way, perhaps, but it is available to us now, and the need to look at reform and at how we use this, but how we also have a better settlement and move things forward with the…
, Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
—and the history and some of the timescale issues and some of those things that we grappled with when we were talking about this. As Sam mentioned, Peter Fox was on the committee when we did this and it was great to have Peter there, and I do hope it wasn't…
, Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I'd like to thank everyone who has taken part in today's debate and has read the report. Given that we don't get an opportunity, very often, to undertake inquiries, it's excellent to have an opportunity to do a short inquiry…
, Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
To close, Dirprwy Lywydd, taken together, our recommendations aim to ensure a more open process in terms of FTC and to ensure that it is used in the most practical way possible across the Welsh Government. I'm pleased that the Cabinet Secretary has responded…
, Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
Dirprwy Lywydd, FTC comprises a significant part of the Welsh Government’s budget, amounting to a portfolio of about £2.2 billion in the budget for 2024-25. However, we found that its practical use is constrained by its uncertain nature, which causes…
, Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. Before I begin, I would like to thank all those who gave evidence to the committee as part of our short inquiry into financial transactions capital, or FTC. I’m also grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for engaging with the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you very much, and it's good to have that co-operation with you on this, and to see the work going forward. As you know, Minister, the issue of dangerous dogs has been something I have constantly raised in this Chamber. In recent years my region has…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
1. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Welsh Government's plans to tackle irresponsible dog ownership? OQ62198
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
We’ll now go into private. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
So, thank you so much.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
It’s been very informative, and thank you for all the work that you have put into this. It certainly gives us food for thought in our deliberations on this Bill.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
And that's very welcome. Okay, thank you. Thank you very much. Unless any other Members have any further questions, then, thank you very much for your time this afternoon.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
So, as a by-product of this legislation, there will be the register, so will that go some way to give you a little bit more—? Well, it will give you more data.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Thank you very much. Just finally before we wrap up, what would you like to be the main takeaway from your report? What's your overall view on this levy? And you've been in and out of these numbers in a lot of detail—what's your gut telling you, I suppose, as…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Yes, okay.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Okay. Sam.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Sam, Mike wants to come in on that point.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
So, that's why there's a difference in those outcomes. Right. Thank you. I think, Sam, you've got some final questions to ask.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Right. Thank you for that. You talked about GVA and some of those losses to the Welsh economy, and in your estimate it was £61.8 million if all Welsh businesses absorb the levy. What are the reasons for the fall in GVA being significantly more compared to the…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
I'm just interested in some of the things that you were saying earlier about the differences between Spain or Catalonia, where you talked about somebody from, say, Germany going there or going somewhere else, compared to the marketplace or the industry here…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Okay, thank you. Sam.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Thank you for that. So, this is a fairly specific question, but the net annual economic impact of the spending on visitor levy revenue by local authorities and the losses in the visitor economy show an increase of £3.4 million and £1.9 million in the Welsh…
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
How were you able to model that specific aspect of the industry, because of the limitations you've talked about earlier on different parts of the model?
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
And you've noted that approximately 345 FTEs, which would be around 70 per cent of the total FTE losses potentially, would occur within accommodation and food services, based on your neutral scenario.
, Finance Committee
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill: Evidence session 3
Not taking away from people who might lose out, with the same caveats as you had—I've been sympathetic to that—but just on a data point of view, then it is a comparatively small number compared to the job market in total. Is that correct?
