, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
At the moment, we have changed the priority need categories so that everybody is included, and that means that we can offer a service to everyone. But the way that the housing and homelessness legislation is set up isn't adequate to provide a service to…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
I think I've covered that by saying that we need to do it sequentially. We've had enormous system change since the pandemic; we'd already put in place a set of proposals to do that, and then, as I said, the homelessness action group reported just before the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Would that be delivered by a converted office building with one-bedroom flats that are poorly insulated, for example? I don't think it would, but might that definition meet that? I would like to have very distinct policies in place that mean the local…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
That's right, Carolyn, and also we need to understand what the system would look like to deliver it. So, how would it be monitored? How would it be enforced? And, frankly, just as simple as, 'What do you actually mean by adequate housing?', 'What is an…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Thanks, Carolyn. Obviously, all legislation has to interact with one another, and we do have a set of progressive pieces of legislation here in Wales. There are other Acts that you could mention as well—the environment Acts and the various pieces of housing…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Carolyn, I'm not going to do a blow-by-blow account through the Bill. I understand exactly where the Back the Bill campaign is coming from and, indeed, you can hear that I'm very sympathetic to the aims of the organisation. But we have to have a Bill that is…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Yes. So, Mabon, if it's possible to put legislation in place, then I would love to. The co-operation agreement is an agreement to put the White Paper out, just to be clear; it's not an agreement to put the legislation in place. Depending on how we get with…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
'Not yet' is the answer to that. That's part of what we want to do through the Green Paper process, so, we accept that, we absolutely know that it's a kind of invest-to-save proposition, if you like. But we don't have any data for Wales. There are data sets…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
No, Mabon, I'm afraid I don't agree with that at all. I think you could put a statement of principle into legislation, but you can't put a delivery mechanism into the legislation. We have a principle of not putting legislation in place without all of the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Yes, so, that's the point of the data and the call for evidence, isn't it? What we want to know is: what does this system require? So, when we go out with the Green Paper, we're expecting local government to respond by saying, 'Well, if you're going to do…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
So, the issues for local authorities are pretty straightforward. Sam, you'll be very familiar with them from your previous role. we want to have a service that is adequate. We want to re-enable the local authorities that are stockholders to build, and the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Yes, thanks, Sam. I'm going to ask James to come in and just talk you through the process that we've been identifying the data gaps and so on with, if you don't mind, Chair, and then we can go on to the issues with local government.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
That's really quite a complex question, really, Sam. So, legislation isn't a panacea here. It doesn't in and of itself deliver adequate housing for everyone. We have to have a series of strategies, policies and programmes that deliver the housing, which then…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Yes, certainly. Myself and Cabinet colleagues are all fully supportive of the general principle that everyone should be able to access adequate housing. We've been consistently driving housing policy and practice towards that goal the entire time. The ending…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
It's very nice to be here. So, yes, absolutely. We have a commitment as part of our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru to publish a White Paper in this Government term, and the timing for that is summer 2024. That will set out proposals for a right to…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Good morning, Chair. Good morning, everyone.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The Right to Adequate Housing - evidence session 6 - Minister for Climate Change
Certainly.
, Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee Report—'Decarbonising the private housing sector'
So, just very briefly on that, Jenny, we're absolutely looking at the permitted development rights, but they won't be for any air-source heat pump; we will have to say that there's a decibel level that's permissible, and that's actually slightly more…
, Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee Report—'Decarbonising the private housing sector'
Yes, sure—sorry, I didn't see that.
, Plenary
Debate on the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee Report—'Decarbonising the private housing sector'
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I just want to start by thanking the committee Chair, members of the committee and the committee team for all of their very hard work, and their report was very much appreciated, and it's a subject that we share a huge concern for, so…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you, Rhys. Those are different categories of tenure, and we have a slightly different approach depending on the category of tenure. For social homes in Wales, I very recently wrote out to social landlords and council stockholding authorities, reminding…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
Diolch, Rhys. The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 transforms renting in Wales, bringing in strengthened regulations around standards in rented properties. The fitness for human habitation regulations, introduced in December 2022, give tenants the power to act…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
Yes, indeed, Ken. Thank you very much. Welsh Government launched the first Wales wildlife and rural crime strategy on 27 April, earlier this year. Habitat protection is one of the six rural priorities and part of the habitats work is Operation Taurus Cymru…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you, Ken. Illegal off-roading damages our open spaces, which are crucial for the environment and the health and well-being of those accessing the countryside for legitimate recreation. We are providing £5.6 million during 2022 to 2025 to authorities via…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
National planning policy sets out the Welsh Government's preferred position on new power lines that, where possible, should be underground. It also sets out where pre-assessed areas are. As I have said repeatedly in this Chamber—I do wish the Conservatives…
