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Wales Online
24-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Wales tourism tax timeline as proposals for changes get voted on
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Senedd members have been debating amendments to the Wales tourism tax - with a number of proposals shot down. If the bill completes its passage through the Welsh Parliament, £1.30 a person before VAT could be charged on overnight stays in hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. A lower rate of 80p would apply to hostels and campsites. The 22 Welsh councils would be given the powers to decide whether to introduce a local levy from 2027 at the earliest. The Welsh Tories wanted a 10-night cap on the levy as well as exemptions for educational trips, charities, members of the armed forces and veterans. They also wanted to exempt yachts and other boats from plans for a £1.30 a night visitor levy in the future. All these were voted down by members. A Plaid Cymru amendment to exempt all under 16s was also defeated. But Senedd members were able to agree other amendments, including an exemption for under 18s from the lower rate. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Sam Rowlands, the Tory shadow finance secretary, introduced an amendment to the tourism tax bill to remove powers for ministers to extend the levy to berths and moorings in future. He argued extending the bill to marinas would be unnecessarily complicated and burdensome, adding that boating is a leisure and sporting activity. He said: 'To be clear, those that provide berths and moorings are not providing visitor accommodation in any real sense. By their nature, those vessels… move around.' Mr Rowlands told Senedd members: 'It's quite clear that boaters have a minimal… impact on local services because they are self-contained within the berth or mooring area.' But Senedd members voted 3-1 against the Conservative's proposal as the finance committee considered nearly 160 amendments to the bill. Mike Hedges, who represents Swansea East, said: 'As I tell people quite regularly, we've got a marina there and I can tell you now – when people come in by boat into that marina, they don't stay in the marina… they go into the city centre and they use the services there.' Mr Hedges said: 'The council taxpayer of Swansea is covering those costs,' as he argued marinas should have been included in the bill from the outset. His Labour colleague Mark Drakeford agreed: 'It is right that [for] a yacht arriving at Swansea or Cardiff marina… the yacht owner should pay the levy just as somebody staying in a nearby hotel or the Cardiff council campsite in Pontcanna will be.' The first minister-turned-finance secretary said: 'I can see no case in principle why those visiting in boats and yachts should find themselves not captured by the levy.' Prof Drakeford explained: 'The bill, as the [Welsh] Government presents it, doesn't have a worked-up scheme for berths and moorings as Mike Hedges would have wished. But the complexity of it is real and was beyond our ability to resolve all that complexity in the bill itself. So, what the bill provides is a power to return to this issue in future when some of those practical challenges can have been more fully discussed.' Mr Rowlands responded: 'It does feel like an afterthought… for me, without the proper revision and understanding of this in the first instance, it shouldn't be in here at all.' Prof Drakeford described the Welsh Government's approach as more progressive and targeted, removing a large proportion of educational stays from the levy. He said: 'If you're going to narrow the [tax] base, the only way to compensate in terms of revenue... is by raising the levy charge on those who remain within the scope.' Members voted to raise the lower and higher rates by 5p to 80p and £1.30 respectively. The bill now moves to the third step: consideration of amendments by the whole Senedd: before a crunch vote on the final version at stage four. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
North Wales Live
24-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Wales tourism tax timeline as proposals for changes get voted on
Senedd members have been debating amendments to the Wales tourism tax - with a number of proposals shot down. If the bill completes its passage through the Welsh Parliament, £1.30 a person before VAT could be charged on overnight stays in hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. A lower rate of 80p would apply to hostels and campsites. The 22 Welsh councils would be given the powers to decide whether to introduce a local levy from 2027 at the earliest. The Welsh Tories wanted a 10-night cap on the levy as well as exemptions for educational trips, charities, members of the armed forces and veterans. They also wanted to exempt yachts and other boats from plans for a £1.30 a night visitor levy in the future. All these were voted down by members. A Plaid Cymru amendment to exempt all under 16s was also defeated. But Senedd members were able to agree other amendments, including an exemption for under 18s from the lower rate. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Sam Rowlands, the Tory shadow finance secretary, introduced an amendment to the tourism tax bill to remove powers for ministers to extend the levy to berths and moorings in future. He argued extending the bill to marinas would be unnecessarily complicated and burdensome, adding that boating is a leisure and sporting activity. He said: 'To be clear, those that provide berths and moorings are not providing visitor accommodation in any real sense. By their nature, those vessels… move around.' Mr Rowlands told Senedd members: 'It's quite clear that boaters have a minimal… impact on local services because they are self-contained within the berth or mooring area.' But Senedd members voted 3-1 against the Conservative's proposal as the finance committee considered nearly 160 amendments to the bill. Mike Hedges, who represents Swansea East, said: 'As I tell people quite regularly, we've got a marina there and I can tell you now – when people come in by boat into that marina, they don't stay in the marina… they go into the city centre and they use the services there.' Mr Hedges said: 'The council taxpayer of Swansea is covering those costs,' as he argued marinas should have been included in the bill from the outset. His Labour colleague Mark Drakeford agreed: 'It is right that [for] a yacht arriving at Swansea or Cardiff marina… the yacht owner should pay the levy just as somebody staying in a nearby hotel or the Cardiff council campsite in Pontcanna will be.' The first minister-turned-finance secretary said: 'I can see no case in principle why those visiting in boats and yachts should find themselves not captured by the levy.' Prof Drakeford explained: 'The bill, as the [Welsh] Government presents it, doesn't have a worked-up scheme for berths and moorings as Mike Hedges would have wished. But the complexity of it is real and was beyond our ability to resolve all that complexity in the bill itself. So, what the bill provides is a power to return to this issue in future when some of those practical challenges can have been more fully discussed.' Mr Rowlands responded: 'It does feel like an afterthought… for me, without the proper revision and understanding of this in the first instance, it shouldn't be in here at all.' Prof Drakeford described the Welsh Government's approach as more progressive and targeted, removing a large proportion of educational stays from the levy. He said: 'If you're going to narrow the [tax] base, the only way to compensate in terms of revenue... is by raising the levy charge on those who remain within the scope.' Members voted to raise the lower and higher rates by 5p to 80p and £1.30 respectively. The bill now moves to the third step: consideration of amendments by the whole Senedd: before a crunch vote on the final version at stage four.
Western Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Senedd criticises 'ill-judged' decision on renters' rights
Mike Hedges expressed concerns about the Senedd consenting to the UK Government making law in a devolved area. He said the Welsh Government provided no clear rationale for "piggybacking" on a UK bill, adding that a bill tailored to Wales' needs could have already become law by autumn 2024. "This would have meant that the benefits of the legislation could have been felt sooner by citizens in Wales," said the Labour Senedd member. "Moreover, the provisions could have been consulted on by Senedd committees and subject to more debate and scrutiny, with a view to producing better outcomes." The renters' rights bill amends two Senedd Acts – with little input from elected members in Cardiff Bay. Mr Hedges warned: "The Senedd is in effect being provided with a fait accompli: vote in favour or risk losing important legislation on housing". Wales' housing minister Jayne Bryant responded: "Practically, we could not deliver within the timeframe of this bill without making sacrifices elsewhere. "We could have looked to deliver a discrete bill but it would have been delivered further down the line and I'm not prepared to make tenants in Wales who are being discriminated against wait… and nor did I want to jeopardise other important legislation." She added there was nothing to stop people in Wales responding to the UK Government's consultation. Labour's Alun Davies intervened: "This is essentially an argument to go back to the pre-2011, 1999 settlement, that there's no need for Welsh consultation." "That is unacceptable, minister, I'm afraid." But he said he would vote along party lines. Laura Anne Jones, the Conservatives' shadow housing secretary, opposed the bill due to concerns surrounding a potential ban on no-fault evictions. Senedd members backed legislative consent for the bill, 37-14, with the Tories and Rhys ab Owen – who sits as an independent – voting against.
Pembrokeshire Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Dead in the water: Tory call for yacht tourism tax exemption sinks
SENEDD Members torpedoed Conservative calls to exempt yachts and other boats from plans for a £1.30 a night tourism tax in Wales. Sam Rowlands, the Tory shadow finance secretary, introduced an amendment to the tourism tax bill to remove powers for ministers to extend the levy to berths and moorings in future. He argued extending the bill to marinas would be unnecessarily complicated and burdensome, adding that boating is a leisure and sporting activity. He said: 'To be clear, those that provide berths and moorings are not providing visitor accommodation in any real sense. By their nature, those vessels… move around.' Mr Rowlands told Senedd Members: 'It's quite clear that boaters have a minimal… impact on local services because they are self-contained within the berth or mooring area.' But Senedd Members voted 3-1 against the Conservative's proposal as the finance committee considered nearly 160 amendments to the bill. Mike Hedges, who represents Swansea East, said: 'As I tell people quite regularly, we've got a marina there and I can tell you now – when people come in by boat into that marina, they don't stay in the marina… they go into the city centre and they use the services there.' Sam Rowlands MS, right, with Mike Hedges MS Mr Hedges said: 'The council taxpayer of Swansea is covering those costs,' as he argued marinas should have been included in the bill from the outset. His Labour colleague Mark Drakeford agreed: 'It is right that [for] a yacht arriving at Swansea or Cardiff marina… the yacht owner should pay the levy just as somebody staying in a nearby hotel or the Cardiff council campsite in Pontcanna will be.' The First Minister-turned-finance secretary said: 'I can see no case in principle why those visiting in boats and yachts should find themselves not captured by the levy.' Prof Drakeford explained: 'The bill, as the [Welsh] Government presents it, doesn't have a worked-up scheme for berths and moorings as Mike Hedges would have wished. 'But the complexity of it is real and was beyond our ability to resolve all that complexity in the bill itself. So, what the bill provides is a power to return to this issue in future when some of those practical challenges can have been more fully discussed.' Finance secretary Mark Drakeford Mr Rowlands responded: 'It does feel like an afterthought… for me, without the proper revision and understanding of this in the first instance, it shouldn't be in here at all.' If the bill completes its passage through the Welsh Parliament, £1.30 a person before VAT could be charged on overnight stays in hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. A lower rate of 80p would apply to hostels and campsites, with the 22 Welsh councils given powers to decide whether to introduce a local levy from 2027 at the earliest. The committee also rejected Tory calls for a ten-night cap on the levy as well as exemptions for educational trips, charities, members of the armed forces and veterans. A Plaid Cymru amendment to exempt all under 16s was also defeated. But Senedd Members were able to agree other amendments, including an exemption for under-18s from the lower rate, during the 'stage-two' meeting on May 15. Prof Drakeford described the Welsh Government's approach as more progressive and targeted, removing a large proportion of educational stays from the levy. He said: 'If you're going to narrow the [tax] base, the only way to compensate in terms of revenue… is by raising the levy charge on those who remain within the scope.' Members voted to raise the lower and higher rates by 5p to 80p and £1.30 respectively. The bill now moves to the third step: consideration of amendments by the whole Senedd: before a crunch vote on the final version at stage four.
