Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
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 think that it was me who, in speaking to a business motion—from memory, it was on 18 December—suggested that that procedure should be used. That was not because of any brilliance or foresight on my part; it was because Fiona Campbell had, through her research, worked out that an expedited bill appeared to be the appropriate vehicle. I congratulate the minister, because he took that up and he listened. He did the right thing by listening and, by implication, accepting that a mistake had been made. I guess that it could be said that it was made by us all, although I voted against the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill. However, the minister is due congratulations.
I will embarrass the minister now with all this praise in front of his colleagues, but he is known to be pro-business, and that is a good thing. Sadly, he is an oasis of common sense amidst a desert of disdain and disinterest. I am afraid to say that that was evident in the passage of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, but not only then; it was also evident during the passage of the short-term lets legislation and in the business rates fiasco, when it was proven beyond any doubt that the methodology that the Scottish assessors employed for calculating the rateable value of self-catering properties was nuts. That approach was rejected by England, and it was completely nuts. Incidentally, that matter remains unresolved, because the assessors have ignored the criticism. They are completely beyond accountability, as so many quangos are. Anyway, I praise the minister.
This will be my last speech—in this session of Parliament. If I may say so, I very much look forward to having the opportunity to continue to serve in the next session, which will make it seven sessions in a row. I say that seriously, because this session of Parliament has, by any standards, been one in which the tourism sector has not been dealt a fair hand of cards—and that is putting it very mildly. I was the tourism minister on two occasions, from 2011 to 2016 and then from 2020 to 2021. The latter time, I offered to do it—I told the then First Minister that I would—because, frankly, I thought that it would be an easy ride to the election. It is great fun working with people in tourism, because they are so optimistic. However, Covid happened two weeks later and I spent the rest of the time sitting in conference calls from 9 until 6. I never turned down any request for a meeting.
At that time, businesses were on their uppers. Businesses that were worth £10 million could not be sold for £100,000. People were absolutely at the end of their tethers. Some people died—I could name them, but that would not be appropriate. The overhanging debt from that is still being worked out and dealt with. Brexit took their staff away, Covid took their reserves away, and this session of Parliament has sapped their spirit and confidence. That is really dreadful. The minister is not responsible for that, but I am afraid that he is part of a Government that has dealt with tourism in that way.
I hope that there can be a fresh start and a fresh approach in which we value what is, after all, one of the most important industries—if not the most important industry—not just for the Highlands, but for many other parts of Scotland.