, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Cefin. We are investing more than £30 million this year in the new Warm Homes Nest scheme to reduce the number of low-income households living in cold, damp homes, including those in rural areas. Absolutely, we understand rural households are more…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Cefin. The Warm Homes programme considers the needs of home owners living in both rural and urban areas. Householders who meet the eligibility criteria will receive a whole-house assessment, and will receive a bespoke range of measures suitable for…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Mick, and thank you for welcoming this scheme. I recently made the decision to extend our Help to Buy scheme here in Wales. It is, indeed—. The previous UK Government ended the Help to Buy scheme in England in March 2023. We're continuing the Welsh…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Mick. Help to Buy—Wales has supported more than 14,000 households to purchase a home since its launch in January 2014. In December, I announced an 18-month extension of the scheme, allocating £57 million in 2025-26.
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Mark, and thank you for the question. We don't underestimate the scale of the challenge. The number of people experiencing homelessness does remain worryingly high. We have protected and increased funding for homelessness support and prevention in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Mark. Welsh Government is undertaking long-term transformation, including legislative reform, to address the challenges associated with homelessness. Our immediate focus is on homelessness prevention and delivery of more homes, with the draft budget…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Peredur. As I said, I do understand that local authorities are having to make difficult decisions as they go through their budget process as well. But, again, I think it's really important to remind everybody that, under a UK Labour Government, our…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Peredur. As I say, this is an issue that is ongoing with my Cabinet colleagues, and the Cabinet Secretary for finance is leading on those discussions with his counterparts in Westminster, as you'd expect. Obviously, I very much understand that this is…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Peredur. Thank you for that question. I would like to start by agreeing with you on all the work that local authorities' staff do up and down the country, day in, day out. It is quite incredible the amount of services that they deliver on our behalf…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Laura. As I said again in response to a question from Hannah Blythyn, this year we do understand that there is a range of increases within the funding formula. We are, as a Government, very open to considering providing additional floor funding at the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Well, I think it’s a bit rich from the party opposite, actually. Because under a UK Labour Government our overall settlement for 2025-26 is more than £1 billion higher than it would have been under the previous Conservative Government. So, I think that’s…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Laura. As you know, councils will be considering a range of council tax and spending options in their budget discussions and consultations. It’s obviously right, as democratically elected bodies, that they do that. I don’t think it’s appropriate for…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Heledd, and I’m really sorry to hear about the example that you’ve given, and the example of your constituent as well. It must be horrendous to live with anti-social behaviour on that level day in, day out, so I do have huge sympathies with that and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Heledd. I'm committed to ensuring everyone in Wales has access to a safe and secure home. Legislation and Welsh Government guidance outlines how local authorities and registered social landlords should co-ordinate activity to ensure allocations of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Jane. Thank you for the question. I think what I would say to you, and as I’ve said to colleagues, is that my Cabinet colleague the Cabinet Secretary for finance has those discussions with his colleagues in the Treasury. They’re direct conversations…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Hannah. Thank you. Absolutely, and I’ve spoken to the leader of Flintshire, as I have with all local authority leaders over the last few months, and you rightly say that there have been some really difficult decisions that all local authorities have…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Sam, and, as I said, I do understand the points that you're raising. I've been very clear about the employer national insurance contributions in terms of the contracted services, and I've also said that discussions are ongoing. I, my Cabinet…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Llyr. Thank you for that question. I took into account the pressures that local authorities were reporting in my budget decisions. I've been around and spoken to local authority leaders across Wales, and they are still, I understand, having to make…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
In 2025-26, local authorities will receive £6.1 billion from the Welsh Government in core revenue funding and non-domestic rates to spend on delivering key services. This equates to an increase of an average of 4.3 per cent or £253 million on a like-for-like…
, Plenary
Debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee Report, 'Private rented sector'
Diolch, Carolyn. I know that this is something that you have raised. As I said, this is the same approach that's being taken in England in the Renters' Rights Bill. I think with regard to—. We've heard from organisations that talk about that the damage that…
, Plenary
Debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee Report, 'Private rented sector'
Of course.
, Plenary
Debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee Report, 'Private rented sector'
Diolch, Deputy Llywydd, and I'd like to, firstly, thank John Griffiths, as Chair of the Local Government and Housing Committee, and those past and present members for contributing today. I know that it does show a lot when we have past members of the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Local Government)
Diolch, Cadeirydd, and nice to see you all. Thank you very much.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Local Government)
Yes, and I think, as I say, this is something we do need to—. You've put the arguments there around that as well, and just how we can be aware of this for the future. We'll keep a very close eye on it.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government (Local Government)
So, rates retention is currently only applicable to the Swansea bay growth deal, as no other city or growth deals requested rates retention as part of their economic growth plan—just to make sure that's clear. So, the rates retention arrangement agreed with…
