, 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, diolch, Cadeirydd, and thank you for that important question. As you know, our Welsh Government budget documentation does set out our high-level strategic impact assessment. That reflects the contribution that local government makes to universal…
, 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, I think, as I said, there's the allocation around how local authorities can work together. I mentioned that we've got over £3 million for the WLGA for that sector-led improvement in digital services, and we're working with them in terms of joint and…
, 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 long time no see to the committee. [Laughter.] Yes, the draft budget does provide a significant investment into local government, although I do recognise the ongoing challenges that local authorities face. I hear and speak directly to…
, 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 (Housing)
Diolch, Cadeirydd.
, 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 (Housing)
Absolutely, and just personally I've seen how an adaptation in a social home had helped my aunt who had motor neurone disease, and I know how important that was for her to have that for my cousin who lived with her. So, I know how important it is to have…
, 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 (Housing)
Diolch, Siân, and, yes, some important questions there. I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to announce an increase of £5.5 million to the capital element of the rapid response adaptations programme. That represents a 28.2 per cent increase in the current…
, 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 (Housing)
That’s another angle to push Leasing Scheme Wales, sometimes, with people as well.
, 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 (Housing)
Diolch, Siân. Our initial estimate of the cost of upgrading privately rented homes to energy performance certificate C is approximately £1.3 billion to £1.6 billion. But just to caveat, really, that that is based on incomplete data, and we’re working with 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 (Housing)
Yes, that's fine, we can make sure you can get a note on that.
, 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 (Housing)
Yes, that's fine.
, 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 (Housing)
Sorry. Yes, Jamie.
, 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 (Housing)
There is a 7 per cent increase in—[Inaudible.] No.
, 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 (Housing)
So, £3 million is going on green homes.
, 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 (Housing)
Yes.
, 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 (Housing)
Eighteen million pounds.
, 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 (Housing)
Thank you, Siân. I haven't got the figure in front of me, but, Emma—
, 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 (Housing)
Diolch, Siân. The focus on our decarb funding over the period to 2030 will be on improving energy efficiency in our social homes, preparing for new carbon heating systems, and installing them where possible. We've agreed to continue the optimised retrofit…
, 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 (Housing)
Thanks, Peter. This is a really important area of work that's going on. Officials have been working really hard on this area, just to put that on the record as well. We've got 433 buildings in our remediation programme. Our expression of interest process…
, 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 (Housing)
Thank you, Peter. You're absolutely right, this is an important area. Obviously, we have this Bill coming this year as well, so there's a lot of work going on at the moment. Officials have been engaging with key partners in this area to ensure implementation…
, 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 (Housing)
There are affordability measures. I don't know if there's anything specific Emma could add to that.
, 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 (Housing)
Again, this gives us that opportunity to reflect on some of the learning that we have and just look at what the future will actually entail for Help to Buy. I think it is important to extend it. We know it has been really helping people. It provides an…
, 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 (Housing)
I think Help to Buy—Wales is an important tool in supporting home ownership and driving up housing supply. Since its launch—in 2014, believe it or not—Help to Buy—Wales supported more than 14,000 households to purchase a home, with 50 developers and small and…
, 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 (Housing)
One of the things I'm keen to do is I'm intending to start some regional round-tables with local authority housing leads, cabinet members. This is an area where I'd be really interested in seeing where there are pockets of good practice within local…
, 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 (Housing)
This is focused on the 12 months or more. The data we have is for six months or more. Obviously, our target is the longer term ones. So just to confirm to the committee, there have been 974 valid applications for the scheme to date, as well as 169 properties…
, 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 (Housing)
Data on empty homes from council tax administration records are based on dwellings that are empty for six months or more, and the latest statistics for 2024-25 show that there are 22,634 chargeable empty properties—so, empty properties for more than six…
