6. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Land transaction tax on commercial land

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:57 pm on 9 May 2018.

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Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 5:57, 9 May 2018

Diolch, Llywydd. Well, we may well have emerged, on this side, from the dark side of planet Thatcher, but this afternoon we've well and truly landed on planet Corbyn, haven't we? Can I thank everyone who contributed to this afternoon's debate? There are many of you; I'll try and mention as many of you as I can, but it may be difficult to include everyone.

As the Cabinet Secretary has reminded us in the past and again reminded us today, phase 1 of tax devolution is over; the next stage is implementation and the all-important monitoring. Mark Reckless, in opening, highlighted the need to listen to the sector, to listen to businesses and their concerns and to then respond to those. And we are concerned, on this side of the Chamber at least, that the higher 6 per cent rate on commercial transactions over £1 million will harm businesses. It's not only us who're saying that; it's also the sector. Businesses are telling us that, our post bags are telling us that; I'm sure that AMs in other parties are also getting the same concerns. Maybe it's not in their interest to listen—[Interruption.]—one minute—to those in the same way, but, certainly, it is disingenuous to say that those concerns are not being made. Mike Hedges.