Meeting of the Parliament 28 May 2024
Given the pressures on coastal and island communities that cruise ships bring, I will speak to Liam McArthur’s amendments in the group. Last year, while we were in government, Scottish Greens secured a commitment from the Scottish Government to introduce a cruise ship levy. Our island and coastal communities deserve a properly considered piece of legislation, and it is good to hear the minister’s assurances that work is on-going in this complex area. The practicalities of a cruise ship levy need to be worked out and we need to find the appropriate legal mechanism. Scottish Greens will continue to work constructively with the Scottish Government, communities and stakeholders to deliver a levy that works for ports, harbours, islands and our coastal communities.
Questions have been asked about the approach to motorhomes and the trigger point for those since the bill was introduced. Liam McArthur’s proposal for a trigger point when a motorhome makes a journey to an island would work for islands, but not for the mainland.
I wonder whether the minister has seen the work that has been done recently in Venice, where an app and a QR code have been introduced and visitors are required to pay a daily fee. That approach might be worth considering in on-going work on both of the measures that I have mentioned.