Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024

16 Visitor levy forum

(1) A local authority operating a VL scheme must—

(a) by no later than 6 months after the date of its decision to introduce a VL scheme, establish a forum for the scheme (“the VL forum”) to carry out the functions set out in subsection (2),

(b) maintain the VL forum for the duration of the scheme, and

(c) ensure that the VL forum—

(i) is able to carry out those functions, and

(ii) meets on a regular basis, being not less than 2 times in each calendar year.

(2) The functions of the VL forum are—

(a) to discuss and advise the authority and any other person or body consulting the forum on matters having to do with the VL scheme,

(b) to discuss and respond to each—

(i) consultation on a modification of the VL scheme under section 13(1)(b), and

(ii) consultation on the use of net proceeds of the VL scheme under section 19(2), and

(c) to discuss and make such representations as are considered appropriate in relation to each—

(i) annual report on the VL scheme under section 20, and

(ii) report setting out the findings of a review of the VL scheme under section 21.

(3) The VL forum is to consist of such persons as are appointed to it by the local authority operating the VL scheme.

(4) The local authority must ensure that the membership of the VL forum—

(a) includes such persons as the authority considers to be representative of communities, businesses engaged in tourism and tourist organisations in its area, and

(b) consists of a reasonable balance of such persons.

(5) The local authority may appoint one or more of its own members to the VL forum, provided that local authority members do not form a majority of the members of the VL forum.

(6) If there is more than one VL scheme for different parts of a local authority area—

(a) more than one VL forum may be established for the area of a local authority, but

(b) a single VL forum may be established for the purposes of this section and the schemes in the different parts of a local authority area.