Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:43 pm on 4 October 2022.
Janet Finch-Saunders
Conservative
4:43,
4 October 2022
Thank you. Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you, Deputy Minister, for bringing forward your statement. It's very interesting, but being as the old chestnut came up of the tourism levy—or tourism tax is what it is really—would you not agree with me—? You've mentioned that you're going to New Zealand and you've been to Italy and it didn't affect or bother you paying a tourism levy, but let's be honest, the people of Wales have been facing a cost-of-living crisis for quite some time, because, in fact, the average median wage in Wales is considerably less than that in England. Now, a lot of our tourism in Wales is domestic tourism where people from one part of Wales like to go to another. So, how do I square up what you've just said? Let's be honest, we are Senedd Members on an allowance that is considerably higher than the median wage, so how do people, say, living in Blaenau Gwent, who may decide to come to Aberconwy—how do you think that they, with this new, other cost-of-living crisis—? [Interruption.] Hang on, I'm talking to the Deputy Minister. Compounded with the cost-of-living crisis we've seen for years in Wales and another one with the energy problems, how do you think that people on fixed or low incomes are really going to be able to afford a tourism tax? Thank you.
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