A New York-style tax of one per cent on hotel stays should be brought in to pay for culture activities for children, Dame Tessa Jowell proposed today.
The Labour mayoral frontrunner announced plans for the tourist tax scheme, which could raise £50 million a year and cover the cost of events like the New Year’s Eve fireworks. The levy would create a borough culture fund, allowing town halls to bid for money to put on free events for communities.
However, the key aim would be to help address the cultural and leisure inequalities facing London children.
Department for Work and Pensions figures reveal the families of 200,000 London children can not afford equipment such as a bicycle and about 100,000 can not afford regular activity outside school such as music lessons.
Similar levies already operate in Paris, Rome and New York. The tax would be dependent on the Mayor and boroughs acquiring new powers from the Government.
