Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
24 Mar 2026 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill
Sarah Boyack is absolutely right about the practicalities of the legislation. However, the problem—as she will know—is that councils across the country are being squeezed for cash and are trying to find money anywhere they can to make up for the cuts that the Scottish National Party is delivering to them. It is no wonder that they are looking at visitor levies.
For example, last year, in my region, Perth and Kinross Council, with an SNP minority administration, ran a public consultation on the visitor levy. There was overwhelming public opposition to such a levy from across various sectors and classes of respondents, but the SNP minority administration is still thinking of going ahead with a levy—it has not ditched those plans.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-21103, in the name of Ivan McKee, on the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3.Before we mo...
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison)
SNP
For the purposes of rule 9.11 of standing orders, I advise the Parliament that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Visitor Levy (Amendmen...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
Thank you, cabinet secretary. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak buttons.15:58
The Minister for Public Finance (Ivan McKee)
SNP
I am delighted to begin the final stage of the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill with this debate at stage 3. Although this has been an expedited proc...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind)
Ind
I congratulate the minister at least for introducing the bill, but would it not have been better, rather than having two options, if there was simply one opt...
Ivan McKee
SNP
Respectfully, I do not agree with Fergus Ewing’s comments. It was important that all stakeholders, the business community and local authorities were involved...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
The Scottish Conservatives very much welcome the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which corrects errors and misjudgments arising from the Visitor Le...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
The key issue, though, is that it is up to every local authority to decide whether or not they want to use the legislation, and they have to go through thoro...
Murdo Fraser
Con
Sarah Boyack is absolutely right about the practicalities of the legislation. However, the problem—as she will know—is that councils across the country are b...
Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
To go back to the member’s previous point, other regions in Scotland need to recognise that, in rural communities and local authority areas such as Dumfries ...
Murdo Fraser
Con
I agree with that point from my friend Mr Carson—he is absolutely right. As he will have done, I have seen surveys that start by asking people, “How would yo...
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Given that, as the minister says, this is a short technical bill, I will keep my remarks relatively brief, in the hope that any brevity on my part will allow...
Murdo Fraser
Con
Does Mr Griffin understand the point that I made a moment ago and that Mr Eagle made last week, which is that City of Edinburgh Council has no incentive to g...
Mark Griffin
Lab
I appreciate that that has an impact on those who travel. However, I have faith that councils will take humane decisions. What we are doing today is devolvin...
Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
This amendment bill is, at its heart, a technical piece of legislation that will make what we put in place through the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 more ...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
I commend Tim Eagle, who is having a gossip with Fergus Ewing at the back of the chamber, for resisting the temptation to add lots of bells and whistles to t...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
We move to the open debate.16:25
Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
This will be my last speech in Parliament, Deputy Presiding Officer, so I hope that you will indulge me with an extra few words today.Tourism is a key indust...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind)
Ind
I congratulate the minister on having the gumption to do something that does not happen a great deal by introducing the bill with an expedited procedure. I t...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
We move to closing speeches.16:34
Ariane Burgess
Green
Before I get to my points about the bill, I will say a few words about some of my colleagues who are speaking in the chamber for the final time. I came to kn...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I hope that it is okay that I borrow a minute from my colleague.In the run-up to the 2016 election, I worked on a member’s bill to introduce a transient visi...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
First, I pay tribute to Sarah Boyack, who has just spoken. Her speech contained a long list of the very many initiatives with which she has been associated a...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
I call the minister, Ivan McKee, to wind up on behalf of the Scottish Government.16:50
Ivan McKee
SNP
I thank members from across the chamber for their contributions. It is important to identify the points of consensus, because we have secured considerable cr...
Willie Rennie
LD
I urge the minister to be just a little bit clearer and more direct to local authorities. We need to have medical exemptions across the board. I know that it...
Ivan McKee
SNP
As I have said on the record, with the responsibility that we have delegated to councils comes an obligation on them to take the matter very seriously and re...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
That concludes the debate on the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of busin...