, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
So, we do have the programme for government commitment to support co-operative housing, community-led initiatives and community land trusts, and we have increased our funding through Cwmpas to £180,000 over the three years 2022-23 to 2024-25. Cwmpas is…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
We've been investing record levels of funding in the social housing grant to achieve that 20,000 homes target over the course of this Senedd term, and, of course, it's never the case that you build a certain number of homes in each year; it's always the case…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
We remain committed to delivering more homes to meet the needs of people throughout Wales. We have allocated £1.4 billion for social housing and, in the first two years of this Senedd term, successfully delivered 5,775 homes towards our 20,000 homes for rent…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
I'm really sorry to colleagues, I don't have that date in front of me at the moment, but I will endeavour to get the date following questions this afternoon, then I will e-mail everybody later on this afternoon, Llywydd. I’m sorry I don’t have the date.
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
As I mentioned in response to the previous question, we did have the legislative statement from the First Minister yesterday, setting out our immediate priorities in terms of legislation, and colleagues will be aware that over recent years we've had a swathe…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Thank you very much for the question, and I welcome you to your new role as the spokesperson. In terms of affordable housing, I do think that we'd always want to invest more funding in affordable housing, but we have, I think, invested quite significant…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Well, the First Minister set out our legislative programme in his statement yesterday. Of course, legislation is always important, but there are other things, I think, that don't require legislation in order to make progress. And I think that the contribution…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Well, these are matters that fall to the Minister for climate change, but I am pleased to let colleagues know that the First Minister will be chairing a further summit on water quality, I believe, at the Royal Welsh Show. I know that there was significant…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
I don't believe these are in the portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning. However, I will certainly explore that after today's meeting. I've been briefing myself to the eyeballs over many hours, but, unfortunately, this…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
After you, Llywydd.
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
So, again, I’m grateful for the question, and it does in fact echo one of the contributions from the Plaid Cymru benches yesterday, which was talking about the same challenges in terms of people who do have lifelong conditions and yet have to reapply, I…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
I’m really grateful for the question this afternoon, and I’d also like to pay tribute to the work of RCT People First and also Leonard Cheshire, both of which are incredible campaigning organisations, and they are in the business of making change all of the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
The 'Manual for Streets' sets out our expectations for inclusive places. At the local level, placemaking plans outline how town centres will be improved for all communities, including disabled residents. With the support of the Design Commission for Wales…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Well, of course, it's for the investment funds and the boards to undertake their particular personal responsibilities and the Welsh Government doesn’t have a role in undertaking those responsibilities. But we do have a role, I think, in terms of being able to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
I'd absolutely give our commitment to continuing to explore those opportunities, but, before I do that, I really want to put on record my thanks to Jack Sargeant for the amazing work that he’s done in this space in terms of bringing this to the Senedd time…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Both I and the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning have discussed the continuing decarbonisation of Welsh local government pensions with leaders and others in the partnership council. We will continue to encourage further progress.
, Plenary
Group 9: Review on use of powers (Amendments 21, 24)
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. As this is my final opportunity to speak in this debate, I'd just, once again, like to thank colleagues from all parties for their constructive input and also to thank the Commission staff for their support in getting the Bill this…
, Plenary
Group 8: Council tax increases (Amendments 20, 26)
As we've heard, amendment 20 would place a new duty on Welsh Ministers to make regulations requiring billing authorities in Wales to hold local referenda on council tax increases that exceed 5 per cent. I outlined during Stage 2 scrutiny that I regard this…
, Plenary
Group 7: Council tax reform (Amendment 2)
Amendment 2 would add a requirement for the Welsh Ministers to implement council tax reform by 1 April 2025. However, there’s no definition offered in the amendment of what is meant by council tax reform. Therefore, the drafting of this amendment is too broad…
, Plenary
Group 6: Publication of notices (Amendment 19)
Thank you. So, amendment 19 seeks to remove section 20 of the Bill, which replaces the current outdated requirement for local authorities to publish council tax notices in a local newspaper with a requirement to publish the information electronically. And I…
, Plenary
Group 5: Council tax: single person discount (Amendment 14)
Amendment 14 introduces a requirement that, in any future regulations made relating to the future of the single person discount, the discount must be at least 25 per cent. This is an important area of support for over 0.5 million households right across…
, Plenary
Group 4: Regulation-making powers (Amendments 11, 12, 15, 18, 27)
As we've heard, most of the amendments in this group would subject regulations made under most of the powers in the Bill to a superaffirmative procedure in the form of a minimum laying period of 60 days. A superaffirmative procedure is only used in…
, Plenary
Group 3: Non-domestic rating multipliers (Amendments 9, 1)
Thank you. Turning first to the amendment tabled by Peter Fox, amendment 9 would, in effect, require the powers provided by section 10 to be used to set a small business multiplier, and as I set out during the earlier stages of scrutiny, there's no current…
, Plenary
Group 2: Charitable rate relief (Amendments 6, 7, 22, 23, 25)
Amendments 6 and 7 would require Welsh Ministers to publish guidance for local authorities on the strengthened eligibility criteria for charitable rate relief for unoccupied properties. The focus of that guidance would be on the new tests that require a local…
, Plenary
Group 1: Duty to consult (Amendments 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17)
Whilst I do appreciate the principle underpinning all of these amendments, it's important to be clear about the very real unintended consequences they would risk. Statutory consultation in all circumstances could disadvantage local tax payers in Wales by…
