The Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Dawn Bowden has (8 August) announced the appointment of Kate Eden as the new Chair of Amgueddfa Cymru. As Chair of Amgueddfa Cymru, Kate Eden will be accountable to Welsh Ministers for the conduct of Amgueddfa Cymru’s affairs and has responsibility for chairing and overseeing the Board of Trustees.
Announcement in full : New Chair and Vice-Chair for Amgueddfa Cymru announced | GOV.WALES
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Visit Wales have announced the return of its tourism industry roadshows, the regional dates are:
Find out more information and book your place at the roadshow here: Business Wales Events Finder - Visit Wales Industry Roadshows - autumn 2023, Events (business-events.org.uk) Sir Keir Starmer has finished the reshuffle of his junior shadow minister ranks. Tourism Minister, Jeff Smith MP, has been moved to Energy Security and Net Zero and Barbara Keeley MP (Lab, Worsley and Eccles South) has been appointed Shadow Minister for Music and Tourism. Barbara Keeley has been in the shadow DCMS team since 2022, covering the arts and heritage portfolio.
Some WTA members have reported a modest increase in bookings from overseas but, overall, numbers and spend remain stubbornly lower than the rest of the UK. This was the subject under discussion at the last Senedd Cross Party Group on Tourism, which met in early July. Representatives from the industry and MSes were able to learn more about Visit Wales’s plans and to put forward their suggestions for this market.
The following week, the WTA chair did a number of media interviews on “Wales As A Global Destination”, a report by the Welsh Affairs Select Committee of the UK Parliament. WTA had given oral evidence to the Select Committee https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/162/welsh-affairs-committee/publications/ In its own statement in response, Welsh Government dismissed the possibility of Visit Wales becoming an external body https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-wales-global-tourist-destination-welsh-affairs-committee-report-july-2023 WTA also gave radio interviews on the news that Amsterdam was considering banning cruise ships, raising again the opportunities to discuss attracting more international visitors to Wales. As another school holiday ends, the media has over the summer been keen to discuss Welsh Government (WG) plans for changing the school year. The purpose of any reform is to improve educational outcomes for children and young people. Wales currently lies behind other countries, including within the UK, on a number of indicators. The WTA was included in the scoping exercise at the beginning of policy development and was disappointed to see the findings of the initial exercise. We have been reassured that the proposals in the “Beaufort Report” were just a starting point and that radical change is very unlikely.
WG recognises that tourism would be affected by any changes and has offered an open door to any businesses who might want to contact them directly; members have received the contact details. The WTA is in regular contact with officials and has argued that early indications of the industry’s perspective need to be taken into account before the consultation document is finalised. No start date for the consultation process has been published. Earlier this year a public consultation sought views on how a licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation providers in Wales could operate on a practical level. This closed on 17 March with more than 1,500 responses.
To supplement the main consultation, three in person engagement events were held across Wales in May. Invited key stakeholders from across the tourism industry gave feedback on specific technical aspects of the proposed scheme. Those that attended represented a significant number and variety of tourism businesses and organisations in Wales including the WTA. The Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has issued a written statement which gives an update on the statutory licensing scheme and shares the full consultation analysis and a report of the supplementary consultation discussions. The full written statement can be found here: Written Statement: Update on a statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation providers in Wales. The statutory licensing regime for FHLs in Scotland continues to be beleaguered by legal challenge and backlogs. The public consultation for licensing legislation in Wales also threw up more objections than would have been anticipated a few years ago, even though there is no intention to replicate the Scottish system. An update meeting from Welsh Government, due this week, has been postponed but we will notify members when that has been rescheduled. The WTA is pleased to learn that the Scottish Court of Session (which sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh aas a trial court and a court of appeal) has ruled that the City of Edinburgh’s short-term let licensing policy is unlawful regarding their rebuttable presumption against granting a licence, amongst other matters.
Fiona Campbell, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, commented: “We are pleased this decision from the Court of Session confirms that City of Edinburgh Council’s short-term let licensing policy was unlawful in respect of the rebuttal presumption and contravenes Provision of Services Regulations. The fact this was the biggest Crowdfunder in Scottish legal history demonstrates the strength of feeling that the Council’s licensing plans were an existential threat to the livelihoods of operators. We pay tribute to the determination and courage of the four petitioners, and are extremely thankful to all those who donated and the superb legal team. This was a team effort and they can be incredibly proud of what they achieved. The impact of this will not be confined to the capital as the decision has ramifications for licensing schemes across Scotland. The Scottish Government need to go back to the drawing board on short-term let regulation and engage constructively with industry to provide a regulatory framework that works for all stakeholders. The time to act is now and the ASSC has pragmatic, fair and proportionate policy solutions which can assist.” WTA, by invitation only, was called to attend two consultation sessions during the week commencing the 21st and 23rd May to discuss Welsh Government proposals for a Statutory Licensing Scheme for Visitor Accommodation Providers which will have far reaching effects for our sector.
Both Suzy Davies, Chair and Adrian Greason-Walker, Policy Advisor attended the sessions for maximum coverage. Generally, the meetings whilst convivial and professional were at times somewhat heated, with the private sector participants fairly much unanimous against the proposal for a licensing scheme and at best in favour of a light touch registration scheme based on the principles of self-assessment. We cited on several occasions the appalling misuse of the Licensing System in Scotland where they simply do not issue them and where they do some have been astronomically expensive. We also conveyed our concerns over our ability, as a sector, to be able to trust the Welsh Government to deliver a scheme, given the driving through of the 182-day threshold despite PASC UK’s, the WTA and UKH’s evidence against the now enacted proposal. Level of fees to be charged and frequency of renewal: These were areas where there was a great deal of discussion, from - there should be no fees charged at all, to a sliding scale (i.e., larger hotels and static sites should pay more). As regards frequency it was generally agreed that that this should be a rolling annual scheme, although other suggestions as to frequency were discussed. Enforcement and level of penalties of non-compliance; as was discussed in our member’s meeting this would need to be proportionate with a period of grace to rectify an issue for an error (rather than a deliberate act to deceive). If unrectified, then a fine would follow and a raising of the level of fine for subsequent failures. One area we do have to keep an eye on is the need for a fit and proper person test in order to potentially obtain a licence. This originates from the existing ‘Rent Smart Wales’ scheme as long term let landlords need to an F&P test in order to meet their legal obligations under the Housing (Wales) Acts 2014 & 2016. Whilst we would not oppose checks for criminal records or DBS check, we feel anything further would be heavy handed and potentially have far reaching impacts on self-catering business owners and managers. We both asked how many respondents to the Consultation actually thought this was a good idea and what evidence the Welsh Govt have that shows a need for it. It was also noted that there was a great deal of concern from the local authorities present that they simply did not have the resources to manage or police the scheme without further resource being applied centrally. Obviously, this would all depend on the final size and scope of any scheme. If the scheme was to be self-funding that would have clear consequences for the level of fees charged. In conclusion, whilst early days, from these discussions at least, it would seem that the Welsh Government is erring toward a light touch centrally managed scheme – probably best described at this stage as a ‘licensing-lite’. We still urge caution as we know once started, statute is rarely retracted, indeed we usually witness and have to deal with the converse. North Wales MS Mark Isherwood raised serious concerns about our self-catering businesses in North Wales and called on the Minister for the Economy to respond to them. Speaking in the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood quoted self-catering business owners in North Wales who have said that “this is another nail in the coffin of hospitality providers” and that “they are being forced to close because they can’t let for 182 days”. Questioning the Minister over how Welsh Government is supporting small and micro businesses in North Wales, Mr Isherwood said: “Responding to my colleague Tom Giffard last week, the First Minister stated that 'No business is forced to close because they don't let for 182 days'.
“How do you respond to the legitimate small self-catering business owners I met last Saturday, during my Wales Tourism Week visits with the Clwydian Range Tourism Group, who told me that they were being forced to close because they can't let for 182 days? “And to the Flintshire constituents with a self-catering business within the curtilage of their own home, who have e-mailed that: 'The premium council tax for Furnished Holiday Lets who don't achieve the 182 days and the tourism tax coming in is another nail in the coffin of hospitality providers. Sadly, we've made the decision to sell up. I just hope that the Welsh Government have not made our property undesirable to future buyers. The current Welsh Government have truly messed up our retirement plans and investments so much we'll probably move to England. It is a sad state of affairs when your government makes it so hard for you to earn a living how you want to, and taxes you in such a way that it makes it financially unviable'.” In his response, the Minister, Vaughan Gething MS, said: “The point the First Minister made - and everyone should really understand this - is, if you don't let for 182 days, it doesn't mean you have to close your business. It means that if you're operating a business for less than half the year you pay council tax, not business rates. And so that's the simple point.” Unfortunately, the response from the Welsh Government yet again shows their lack of understanding and their willingness to repeat the same tired rhetoric. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood said: “The number of affected businesses contacting me about this is growing. By introducing these changes, the Welsh Government is condemning large numbers of legitimate Welsh holiday-let businesses to paying these increased Council Tax premiums, which will drive many out of business in consequence and therefore further undermine our rural tourism economy.” The Welsh Government is intent on banning or restricting the use of several commonly littered single-use plastic products. These bans were being developed in response to growing concerns over the damaging impact of plastic pollution on our wildlife and environment. Further to the original consultation the Welsh Government introduced its Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill (“the Bill”) in the Senedd Cymru on 20 September 2022. On 6 December 2022 the Senedd voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Bill and the Bill is now waiting to receive Royal Assent before it can become an Act to happen in June 2023.
Once the bans are in place, it will be an offence for a person to supply or offer to supply (including for free) to consumers in Wales the single-use plastic products listed in column 1 of the Table in the Schedule to the Bill. An offence, under Section 5 of the Bill, can only be committed by the following: - a body corporate (including a body exercising any function of a public nature); - a partnership; • - an unincorporated association other than a partnership; - or a person acting as a sole trader. In the Bill a ‘consumer’ means an individual acting for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside that individual's trade, business or profession. At present, the Bill only contains criminal sanctions (Section 6) and anyone suspected of committing an offence can be tried in a Magistrates’ Court. If a person is found guilty of the offence, the Court may impose an unlimited fine. Note the use of the words 'unlimited fine'? This secondary 'consultation' is aimed at establishing an alternative enforcement regime to support the bans, Welsh Ministers have agreed to use the powers available in Section 17 of the Bill and introduce regulations that provide for civil sanctions (i.e. non-criminal) to be made in respect of criminal offences created under section 5 of the Bill. These regulations will come into effect before the bans are implemented and guidance will be provided to support their use. This a consultation aimed at local authorities as the regulators, we see no real reason to respond, however you may wish to in your own right. Here you go...Proposals for enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Wales) Bill | GOV.WALES Before you give that free plastic bag away, remember a couple of word from this Welsh Government 'consultation'... unlimited fine!!! |