Meeting of the Parliament 19 March 2026 [Draft]
The Scottish Conservatives support the bill, which makes much-needed corrections to the original flawed legislation. I will say more about that context in the closing debate next week. In the meantime, I will speak briefly to my two amendments in the group.
Amendments 5 and 6 have the purpose of exempting camping and caravan sites from the legislation, thereby ensuring that those who stay in such sites will not be subject to a visitor levy. The Conservatives attempted to make a similar change to the original legislation when it went through the Parliament, but the amendments were rejected at that time. However, it remains my view that the matter should be reconsidered, particularly given the changes to the legislation that are being introduced through the bill.
Camping and caravaning, including staying in static caravans, represent low-cost, affordable holiday options for many families who could not otherwise afford a break. I remember that—and I am sure that others in the chamber will remember the same—when I was growing up, that was the sort of holiday that we had as a family. I still have the memories of a weekend in Oban in a static caravan when it rained every day, as it sometimes does.
As we face a cost of living crisis, with rising bills everywhere, we should not be making the cost of a short break in Scotland even more expensive and therefore putting it out of reach for low-income families who might not be able to afford any other sort of holiday. I appreciate that, if councils bring in a visitor levy on a percentage basis, those who stay in campsites or in a caravan park will pay less than those who stay in a more expensive place, such as in a hotel or in larger self-catering premises. However, if councils take advantage of the flexibility that the bill offers and implement a fixed-fee option, the prices might be set in the same way, which would have a disproportionate impact on the cheaper end of the market. That is why we need to revisit the issue and take the opportunity to exempt campsites and caravan parks.
The Holiday and Residential Parks Association has calculated that, if a charge of £2 per person per night was applied, it would add £168 to the cost of a fortnight’s break in a static caravan for a family of six. That is a very significant additional cost. I do not want to see anybody, least of all those from low-income families, being unable to afford a holiday because of the imposition of a visitor levy. That is why amendments 5 and 6 are required.
I move amendment 5.