Edinburgh Backs Tourist Tax

That the Parliament recognises that proposals by the City of Edinburgh Council to introduce a tourist tax on accommodation in the city have, it considers, been overwhelmingly supported following a public consultation; notes that more than 2,500 people responded to the public consultation on the proposal to introduce a charge of either 2% or £2 per room per night, chargeable all year round on all forms of accommodation, including short-term lets, but capped at seven nights, with 85% of those responding supporting the plans; recognises that more than half, 51%, of accommodation providers and 91% of residents said that they support the introduction of a tourist tax; considers that between £11.6 million and £14.6 million every year would assist the council in delivering investment in schools, roads and community services at a time when the Scottish Government, it considers, is reducing local authority budgets, and calls on the Scottish Government to give local authorities the powers that it believes they need in order to raise revenues through a tourist tax to help alleviate pressures from budget cuts being passed on to them.