It is not Plaid Cymru policy to introduce a tourism tax. We welcome the exploration of four taxes, as has been outlined by the Welsh Government, to gather evidence because we are an open-minded party, willing to look at new ideas, new innovations, because let’s face it, Dirprwy Lywydd, whenever there is a new idea in the course of politics in these islands, the Conservative Party are always on the wrong side. We wouldn’t be sat in this Chamber today had they had their way because they are always on the wrong side of history, and that is true for their policy on taxation.

As Wales’s second largest employer, tourism is the backbone of the economy in many parts of our country; it supports, as the Member for Monmouth has said, 120,000 jobs and it’s of vital importance to all regions of our country. Currently, the tourist industry in the United Kingdom faces a disproportionately high tax burden compared to our other key industries and to other countries in Europe. Only Switzerland places a larger tax burden than the United Kingdom—[Interruption.]—on its tourism industry. I’m sorry, I think I’ve been pretty generous; I’d like to make progress. Sixteen out of 19 countries in the eurozone have a VAT rate for tourist services that is lower than 10 per cent. Our closest neighbour, and, in many ways, our direct competitor, Ireland, reduced the rate of VAT to 9 per cent in 2011: 57,000 extra jobs were created as a result. In a globalised and increasingly competitive market, Wales needs every advantage possible to sell ourselves as a tourist destination.

Our tax system, overseen by the United Kingdom Government, currently puts Wales and the many small businesses that are the foundation of our tourist industry at a disadvantage. Plaid Cymru has repeatedly called for a VAT cut on tourist services from 20 per cent to 5 per cent. It is estimated—. Evidence suggests that the reduction would create over 5,500 thousand jobs in Wales, whilst injecting £166 million into the Welsh economy. Given the strategic importance of tourism as an industry to our nation, Wales could become a tourism VAT cut test bed if the Conservatives wanted it to be so.

The Conservatives’ new-found interest in the health of the Welsh tourism industry is to be very much welcomed. And I assume, therefore, given their concern about the tax burden on the tourist sector in Wales, that the Welsh Conservative party has succeeded in persuading Philip Hammond to deliver a cut in VAT in tourism when he unveils his budget in a few weeks’ time. That is Plaid Cymru’s policy on tourism and taxation in Wales, and we will be placing an amendment to the UK budget—