Economy Minister sets out top priorities for a stronger Welsh economy ‘built by all of us’1/12/2023 Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething has set out the Welsh Government's key priorities that will shape the Economy of Wales for the remainder of this term of Government:
- A just transition and green prosperity: realising the enormous net zero economic opportunities and engaging with businesses and people to move towards a just transition - A platform for young people, fair work, skills and success: backing young people to achieve the ambitious futures in Wales. Prioritising their skills and creativity. - Stronger partnerships for stronger regions and our everyday economy: working with regions to agree a smaller set of priorities for growth, local jobs and major investment. New joint working to boost the case for UK investment in projects that crowd in investment and support fair, unionised jobs in areas including nuclear, offshore wind and tech. - Investing for growth: we will work in partnership to focus on our recognised strengths to boost investment and growth that prizes fair work and long-termism. Our new mission-based innovation strategy will target new investment in a post EU landscape, supporting commercialisation, research and development and entrepreneurship. Speaking at a Welsh Government press conference (30/11/23) the Minister argued that the ‘trickle down is bust’ and set out the case for positioning Wales alongside the wave of economies turning active industrial policy into new skills for long term prosperity. However, whilst no one can disagree with the broad general statements above as ever 'the Devil' is in the detail. Little mention of tourism given its importance and many in the industry will find the comments about setting priorities for growth of local jobs a hollow shout after the introduction of the 182 day threshold, which fundamentally threatens many micro and small businesses in our local, particularly rural counties. The mention of boosting 'Unionised jobs' is also interesting given that over 90% of our rural tourism businesses are micro and run by owner managers. Unions have in recent years been recording a large loss of members as a consequence of a world that is radically changing with the loss of large employers, the rise of the gig economy and as the world moves on-line to more flexible, life style working.
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Tourism leaders have called on Welsh Government ministers to listen to the industry when developing policies that will impact businesses.
The call came from Wales Tourism Alliance (WTA) chairman Suzy Davies and Steve Hughson, chairman of both the Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum and the Event Wales Industry Advisory Group, when speaking at the Mid Wales Tourism Conference. The sell-out conference, which attracted 120 delegates as well as exhibitors and sponsors, was held at the Metropole Hotel and Spa, Llandrindod Wells. The event was organised by MWT Cymru, an independent organisation representing around 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Snowdonia. Mrs Davies said the WTA, which represents around 6,000 businesses in all sectors of tourism industry across Wales, was working with others to restore the industry’s relationship with the Welsh Government. There had been a breakdown in communications stemming from the introduction of the 182-day rule for self-catering accommodation in Wales. Self-catering accommodation that fails to be occupied for 182 days of the year now risks paying much higher council tax. The WTA has been talking to the Welsh Government about the impact of the 182-day rule, a tourism tax and statutory registration of tourism accommodation, but Mrs Davies said it had not been listening and businesses had lost faith in the consultation processes. “The current engagement structures don’t work for either the Welsh Government or the tourism industry,” she added. “The industry must be in the room when the Welsh Government shapes and designs policy and we need to be listened to.” She said there were signs that the Welsh Government was now beginning to listen to the industry’s collective voice, as a review of the 182-day rule had been promised and the tourism tax had been delayed until 2027. “There is now a much better understanding of what we have been all saying for the past 18 months,” she added. “We must never find ourselves in this position again which is why we have organised a symposium in Newtown in January and we hope the Welsh Government will attend.” Mr Hughson also stressed the importance of a united tourism industry working closely with the Welsh Government to influence and shape policies to ensure that they work well when introduced. “We can get the Welsh Government and Visit Wales to change, so long as we work in partnership in a polite, respectful and evidence-based way,” he said. “It has never been more important that we work together.” Regional tourism forums across Wales had an important role in making Welsh Government ministers in different policy areas aware of the cumulative effect of their policies on the tourism industry, he added. MWT Cymru chairman Rowland Rees-Evans thanked both Mrs Davies and Mr Hughson for their work on behalf of tourism businesses during a challenging time for the industry. He referred to four consultation papers issued by the Welsh Government. “They will undoubtedly have a major impact on the industry when the legislation is implemented,” he said. “We are already starting to see the effect of 182-day rule on self-catering holidays. As it stands at the moment, next year we will also have full business rates to contend with, among other changes. “MWT Cymru has always tried to look after its members, business partners and community groups with help and support from our great team who try to get ahead of the curve whenever new legislation, rules and regulations are being put in front of us.” Despites concerns about new legislation, he said there were positive signs that 2024 could be a better year for tourism businesses. Forward bookings were healthier than the same time last year and there was feeling that people, who did not take a holiday in Mid Wales this year due to the cost of living crisis, would return in 2024. Picture caption: Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum Steve Hughson addresses the conference. MWT Cymru chairman Rowland Rees-Evans speaking at the conference. Wales Tourism Alliance chairman Suzy Davies being interviewed by Phil Blizzard for a conference podcast. Ends For more information, please contact Val Hawkins, MWT Cymru chief executive, on Tel: 01654 702653 or Duncan Foulkes, publicity adviser, on Tel: 01686 650818. Headlines: The Chancellor has just sat down from delivering his Autumn Statement. The following are some key headlines from his statement relevant to our sector.
You can access the Treasury's 'Green Book' and associated Autumn Statement documents such as policy costings via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-statement-2023 Wales Climate Week encourages a national conversation on climate change and provides an opportunity for a wide range of stakeholders to network and engage in important discussions on how Wales can play its part in tackling climate change. The theme for this year’s Wales Climate Week is also one of the most important questions facing businesses, communities and households today: – How can we tackle climate change in a fair way?
In Wales, the Welsh Government has committed to ensuring a just transition to a greener, more sustainable economy that isn’t reliant on fossil fuels. This means an approach driven by the guiding principle of leaving no-one behind. This year’s event will coincide with a Welsh Government consultation on a new Just Transition Framework which will begin in December. A 5-day virtual conference will be held between 4th-8th December examining the the impacts of climate change. To join the discussion and explore how Wales can tackle climate change in a fair way that leaves no-one behind. Register now here. We have received an apology from Booking.com for forwarding to members, following query as to the reason for late payments:
‘As part of our investment to ensure our technology continues to deliver ever higher levels of online safety and security for our business partners, their guests and our systems, we needed to carry out essential improvements, including system upgrades to our financial and payment platforms. Despite having planned carefully and notified our partners in advance that we would be carrying out this work, a number of unforeseen problems occurred. This meant that payments to some of our partners were disrupted. We know that for some of the partners who were affected, this had an impact on their businesses, and on their professional and personal lives. For this, we are deeply sorry. The delays in receiving payment that some of our partners experienced were longer than we anticipated. This is not the level of service we would ever want to deliver to our partners. We know that we have fallen short of the experience partners expect from us and we recognize that we have work to do to win back their trust. We fully understand that an apology doesn’t change the impact we have had on their business. We are providing compensation to those partners whose payment was delayed by 21 days or more after the pre-announced temporary suspension of payments related to our financial systems upgrade. The exact amount of compensation is determined by the amount owed and the length of delay experienced. This compensation will be in the form of a one-time cash payment, which will be deposited directly into the partner’s bank account by the end of November. The vast majority of payouts have resumed and are being processed as per usual, since ensuring our partners are paid on time is a top priority for us. We have heard the feedback from our partners and are learning from it so we can do better in the future. Our CEO has given his personal commitment to partners to ensure we deliver better levels of service in the future’. If you believe you are eligible for compensation then we suggest you contact Booking.com directly and immediately. Consultation description: In 2018 the Welsh Government consulted on banning the use of combustible materials in and on the external walls of specific types of high-rise buildings. Following the consultation, the Building Regulations 2010 (“Building Regulations”) were amended to restrict the use of combustible materials in and on external walls and specified attachments to a list of materials essential for construction but without an available non-combustible alternative. They are now proposing to:
Full documentation can be found here: Amendments to Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations and associated statutory guidance documents, including a call for evidence. (gov.wales) If the WTA receives representation we will submit a response. Closes 09/01/2024 The Commons EU Scrutiny Committee (Chair: Sir Bill Cash MP) has launched a timely inquiry into EU EES and the UK border. The EU EES is due to launch in late 2024 and will be a new digital way to record entries into and exits out of the EU’s Schengen area. Crucially this will include registering fingerprints at the border. The Committee is looking at the implications for the UK. The Committee is inviting written evidence by Friday 12 January 2024.
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7984/eu-entryexit-and-the-uk-border/ If you are a new or existing landlord, receiving rental income from a UK property, we have online support available to help you get things right.
You can join live webinars – during which you can ask questions using the on-screen text box. Please note that these webinars do not cover Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax or Stamp Duty Land Taxes. Residential property income for individuals – an introduction They will be looking at: • what we mean by income from property • an overview of furnished holiday lettings • when to record income and expenses • the property income allowance • the 'Rent a Room' scheme Register here Residential property income for individuals – expenses and deductions Find out about: •revenue and capital expenses •expenses before you start letting your property •costs for repairs, improvements, mortgage, and finance •replacement of domestic items relief Register here There’s more help for landlords with your Self Assessment tax return. Choose from the 'UK property income, tax return' playlist, on HMRC’s YouTube channel. You can find additional information in our 'Property rental toolkit'. Register here Residential property income for individuals – expenses and deductions Find out about: •revenue and capital expenses •expenses before you start letting your property •costs for repairs, improvements, mortgage, and finance •replacement of domestic items relief Register here There’s more help for landlords with your Self Assessment tax return. Choose from the 'UK property income, tax return' playlist, on HMRC’s YouTube channel. You can find additional information in our 'Property rental toolkit'. The Celtic English Academy are keen to share a remarkable development on the horizon, one that holds great promise for both our industry and Wales as a whole. The UK and Japanese governments have jointly announced a significant increase in the quota of Youth Mobility Visa schemes and working holiday visas, from the current 1,500 to an impressive 6,000 annually, commencing in 2024. Although the UK government's official statement is pending, you can find the detailed announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan here: Japan's MOFA Announcement. For reference, the English version of the original Memorandum of Cooperation related to this announcement can be accessed here: Memorandum of Cooperation (English).
This expansion primarily focuses on the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa, which is currently available to specific nationalities, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and enables individuals aged 18 to 30 to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. At Celtic English Academy (CEA), a British Council-accredited English language centre in Cardiff,they teach English to over 1,200 students annually from more than 50 countries. The CEA want the opportunity to explore the promotion of Study & Work programmes in collaboration with colleagues in the tourism sector here in Wales. Their vision involves offering a 3 to 6-month English language course at Celtic in Cardiff, followed by 6 months of apprentice work placements at various tourism attractions, accommodations, and other hospitality sectors, with the potential for an additional 12 months of work. Shoko Doherty, Chief Executive Officer - CEO:- 'I kindly request your consideration in participating in this initiative by providing 6 months of apprentice training in tourism and hospitality-related roles such as Housekeeping, Business Administration, Customer Service, Hospitality, Retail, and Accommodation Services. We aim to ensure that these apprentices receive the Real Living Wage (£12 per hour) for a minimum of 20 hours per week and that assistance is provided in locating suitable accommodation in their respective areas of residence. We will ensure that each apprentice meets the minimum English language requirements for their specific roles, with B1 level for basic work such as housekeeping and kitchen assistant and B2 level for positions like receptionist and business administration. Over the past two years, English UK, the umbrella organisation for accredited English language teaching centres in the UK, has actively lobbied in collaboration with tourism organisations, including UKInbound and Tourism Alliance, to expand the Youth Mobility Scheme visas. While the UK government has not yet officially announced the expansion of the YMS to include other nationalities, there is a strong possibility that such an announcement may occur in the near future. If this indeed becomes a reality, we are eager to extend our Work & Study programme to additional nationalities. This initiative holds the potential to serve as a valuable workforce solution for the tourism and hospitality sectors in Wales while simultaneously fostering opportunities for the growth of the inbound tourism economy in our region. To explore this exciting opportunity further, I invite you to participate in our Zoom meeting at 1pm on the 14th of November (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83053767277?pwd=RWVTR3NMa1VPWlVocnA1aXozMG9IZz09). Alternatively, you may provide me with the following information by completing an online form (https://forms.gle/397j1oyZD3yGH67J9)
The initial cohort of students is anticipated to arrive in the UK in April 2024, with apprentice training commencing in either July or October. I'm currently frequently travelling abroad, so communication via email may experience some delays. To ensure a more efficient and timely connection, I hope to meet many of you at the above proposed Zoom meeting or through your completion of the form. This way, my team can follow up with you individually. I eagerly await your response and the possibility of embarking on this exciting journey together. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or require further information'. Diolch yn fawr I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards, Shoko Doherty Chief Executive Officer - CEO shoko@celticenglish.co.uk | +44 (0)2920 828287 +44 (0)7765 678189  Congratulations to WTA member organisation, Historic Houses Cymru on their upcoming 50th anniversary. As part of the celebration Historic Houses have published a report titled, Changing Times, Valuing History: historic houses for the 21st century which looks at the economic, cultural and social contribution of our Historic Houses across the UK. Historic Houses was founded in 1973, to champion and represent the UK’s world-famous independent historic houses, castles, and gardens. Historic Houses are hubs of creativity, culture, commerce, and community across many of the most rural parts of the UK, and act as lynchpins to thriving tourism and creative industries sectors. |
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