Evidence from the Wales Tourist Board
to the Richard Commission’s Commission on the Powers
and Electoral Arrangements of the National Assembly
for Wales.
The Powers of the National Assembly
for Wales
|
The Commission’s approach
- In what practical ways do the powers of the Assembly,
or the limits of its powers, impinge on you, your
organisation or the people whom you serve and what
are the best examples of this from your point of view?
|
| The Assembly’s powers
as they stand have allowed greater investment from the
Assembly into tourism. The Wales Tourist Board (WTB) now
has a bigger budget than ever before, thanks to greater
support from the Assembly . WTB grant in aid has increased
from £11.46 million in 1998/1999 to £19.5 million in 2002/2003.
The Assembly has also meant that WTB has increased access
to Assembly Members and a closer working relationship
with the civil servants, which has fostered a better understanding
of WTB’s role, the importance of tourism to the Welsh
economy and the issues affecting the industry. The Chairman
and Chief Executive have regular meetings with the Minister.
Prior to the establishment of the Assembly, these only
took place once a year. |
| The Welsh Assembly Government
has also been able to find a Welsh solution to a Welsh
problem. For instance, Foot and Mouth Disease led to the
Rural Recovery Plan and Adfywio scheme which has stimulated
closer partnership working between WTB and CCW, a good
example of ‘joined up’ working between ASPBs. |
| A large proportion of responsibility
for marketing Wales overseas remains the responsibility
of VisitBritain, which is answerable to the DCMS. The
same organisation now also has responsibility for marketing
England within Britain. Currently, the Welsh Assembly
Government does not have the power or influence to set
specific Wales targets for VisitBritain – despite
the fact that it is its statutory obligation to promote
all parts of Britain. Currently, Wales only attracts
some 4% of overseas visitors to Wales. WTB and WAG have
argued that VisitBritain needs to be set measurable targets
for England, Scotland and Wales. |
Are the powers of the National Assembly sufficient
to meet the needs of Wales?
- Does the Government of Wales Act provide the Assembly
with the powers it needs to operate effectively and
meet the expectations of the people of Wales?
- Whether, and if so how, the powers should be extended,
strengthened or changed and whether they should include
tax varying powers?
|
| Tax raising does not come
under the remit of the Wales Tourist Board and so it would
not be appropriate to comment. |
| However, as tourism is one
of Wales’ largest industries, contributing over £6
million to the economy every day, if the Welsh Assembly
Government had the powers to vary VAT on accommodation,
it would improve Wales’ value for money to overseas
visitors. |
| Where power has been insufficient
(in terms of WTB’s work) has been on the question
of statutory registration scheme for Wales. WTB’s
recommendations on statutory registration have been approved
by the Minister for Economic Development and by the Economic
Development Committee. Despite this, however, it requires
a change in primary legislation (by the UK government)
to implement it in Wales, which could potentially stall
or delay the process. |
Structure and working arrangements of the National
Assembly
- If the Assembly were to acquire greater law making
powers – is it inevitable that it would need
to be reconstituted on the Parliamentary model?
- If so what organisational changes would be needed
to support this model and what would be the gains
and losses from making this change?
It is not the Wales Tourist Board’s role to speculate
on constitutional issues.
|
The relationship between the Assembly in Cardiff and
the parliament at Westminster
- How effective has the Assembly been in influencing
UK Government policy making in relation to Wales?
|
| It would be inappropriate
for WTB to comment on how the Welsh Assembly Government
and the UK government interact on decisions affecting
Wales. We would, however, stress the importance of effective
interaction in policy areas affecting tourism including
planning, transport, taxation, regional imbalance, deregulation,
employment and education.. The tourist has no regard for
boundaries and borders and, therefore, any decision being
taken regarding tourism issues by one government would
have repercussions on neighbouring governments.
What would be gained or lost if powers to make fundamental
policy changes through primary legislation were passed
from Westminster to Cardiff?
|
It is inappropriate for WTB
to respond to this question.
- How would Welsh interests be affected if the role
of Welsh MPs were to be reduced as a consequence of
the acquisition of primary law making powers of the
National Assembly?
It would be inappropriate for WTB to comment.
|
The role of the UK Government and the Secretary
of State for Wales
- How would Welsh interests be affected if the Secretary
of State’s role were reduced as a consequence
of the acquisition of primary law making powers by
the Assembly?
It will be important to ensure that there can continue
to be a voice in the cabinet which can speak for Wales
in respect of those matters which have not been devolved.
|
Relations between the Assembly
and Whitehall
- What would be gained or lost if there was a clearer
separation between England and Wales in policy development
and implementation?
|
| There is already a
significant difference between England and Wales in policy
development and implementation. In the field of tourism,
VisitBritain is primarily a marketing organisation with
a limited policy and strategy role. At regional level
in England there are Regional Tourist Boards which are
purely marketing organisations, with the tourism development
role being undertaken by Regional Development Agencies.
In Wales the approach is very different, with WTB having
an integrated strategic/policy, development and marketing
role, supported at the regional level by Regional Tourism
Partnerships which have both a marketing and devolved
development role. These different approaches predate devolution,
though the differences have increased, particularly with
the advent of VisitBritain which has replaced the former
British Tourist Authority (BTA) and English Tourism Council.
|
Financial Context
- How should we evaluate the costs and benefits of
moving to a different form of devolution in Wales?
It is inappropriate for WTB to respond to this question.
- What are the benefits which should be included in
this evaluation and what values should be attached
to them?
No comment.
|
Funding streams
- Is this an issue for you or your organisation? If
so, what have been the practical problems and how
might they be resolved?
|
| The one area of potential
overlap in respect of tourism is the marketing of Wales
overseas. The current position is that VisitBritain is
supposed to give adequate marketing emphasis to Wales
as part of its remit to attract overseas visitors to the
whole of Britain. Geographical spread of overseas tourism
within Britain has always been one of BTA’s objectives,
but this has never been expressed in explicit performance
targets for Wales. |
| When WTB acquired overseas
marketing powers, together with an increase in budget
to facilitate marketing activity overseas, the question
of what the British Tourist Authority (the predecessor
to VisitBritain) did for Wales as baseline activity became
even more important, as WTB’s overseas marketing
spend needed to be additional and supplementary to that
of BTA. There was always a need to ensure that WTB marketing
spend did not simply finance marketing activities which
BTA would ordinarily have paid for which, at worst, would
have meant an abrogation of its Wales responsibility on
the part of BTA. |
| With the advent of devolved
administrations in Wales and Scotland, and following the
recent merger of BTA with the English Tourism Council
(ETC) to form VisitBritain which now includes the former
ETC remit of marketing England within Britain as well
as marketing Britain overseas, the question of what VisitBritain
does for Wales as part of its all-Britain remit is even
more valid now. |
| It is clearly desirable from
the Wales perspective that VisitBritain should be more
accountable and that explicit targets for Wales should
be agreed. However, the essence of any development in
this area is mutual agreement. If targets are to be set,
they must be workable, measurable and reasonable. |
|
|
