Local Government and Housing Committee

Thank you very much, Chair. On the Bevan Foundation paper, it's a very difficult read. It's very interesting and very useful, but it's a difficult read in the sense that one sees the challenges facing people, particularly with the cost of housing. Now, although they refer specifically to a non-devolved issue—one that we as a committee have not had time to discuss—I do feel that it would be an idea for us to write to the Westminster Government asking what their response is, and what their intentions are in increasing the budget to ensure that there is more funding available for the most disadvantaged people. And given that we haven't had an opportunity to discuss it as a committee, I wonder if we could make progress to that end.

Diolch yn fawr, Mabon. Is committee content to write, and then, obviously, consider the response? Yes. Okay. Thank you very much, Mabon. Carolyn.

Yes, I was just going to concur with Mabon on reading this. It would be quite good actually, I think, to have the Bevan Foundation, or somebody from there, to come in and to present to us the findings, and talk us through them. There is quite a lot of information in here—

There is.

So, for us to just quickly look at it now doesn't seem to really give it enough attention. But I agree with Mabon about sending this and writing to the UK Government about their local housing allowance—[Inaudible.] It does say, though, that Welsh Government should top it up, but I know that they do from the discretionary housing benefit, don't they—it reaches the top?

Yes.

So, it would just be good to have that conversation with the Bevan Foundation as well sometime. Thank you.

Okay, Carolyn. Well, we'll be considering our forward work programme later, although, really, that's only up to the summer. But there will be opportunities in due course to deal with the forward work programme beyond that point. So, perhaps we'll write, as we've agreed, and maybe consider the response and how we move ahead at that stage, because we can certainly consider work—. I mean, housing is obviously going to be absolutely crucial to the work of this committee in so many different ways, and I'm sure that, beyond the summer, we'll be returning to these housing issues when we look at our forward work programme beyond that point. Okay. Well, thank you very much for that. So, subject to those actions, then, committee is content to note the papers.