, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government: More homes towards ending homelessness
Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. We know that investing in social housing reduces poverty, improves health and helps drive economic growth. Good-quality affordable housing can provide opportunities for every individual and family, positively impacting upon health…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch yn fawr. And we will send you that correspondence that we've assured you we will. So, thank you.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Absolutely. I believe that, due to our continued investment in funds such as major repairs and dowry, and policy decisions around removing the right to buy, the numbers would be very low in terms of sales and demolitions. I know that the early stage of TACP…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Well, the UK Government's electronic property information and mapping service, which is EPIMS, has been supported by Ystadau Cymru for a number of years now, and there's a database broadly identifying public sector collaboration opportunities. A new upgrade…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Yes, absolutely, we do see that as a real potential, in terms of infill. Planning policy provides a clear preference to developing infill sites within settlements ahead of greenfield sites. Through the work of the land division that we've mentioned today…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
—so he will know that very well. However, in line with the recommendations from the affordable housing supply review, I'm not minded to create a bespoke fund. However, work has been undertaken to allow community-led housing groups to access some existing…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you, Altaf. Yes, and the Welsh Government does have a long history of supporting co-operative and community-led housing in Wales, stemming back to 2010. We've a particularly successful community in the Chair's constituency again, Loftus Gardens—
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Yes, absolutely. Perhaps it's better to ask the officials how they work themselves.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you, Altaf. As I understand it, the main support for CEW rests with my colleague, the Cabinet Secretary for the economy. I understand that CEW provides specialist construction advice to support Ministers and civil servants. This advice covers a very…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
It sounds a very sensible idea, yes.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Well—[Interruption.] Oh, sorry. [Interruption.] No, no. I was just going to say, Welsh Government has, in the past, provided support to local authorities in developing those 106 agreements, and we are aware of the English guidance, which is largely already…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you, Lee. I’m very new into post, but very happy to look at this area as well. Our land division has made significant progress in accelerating development potential of land holdings, but also acquiring new land for development. Our acquisitions that…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
That's fine, yes. That's okay with me.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
I’m very happy to have those discussions with my colleague. I don’t want to get her into trouble already by making all these commitments. I don't want to get on her bad side already. But I’m really keen to have those discussions with the Minister for delivery…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
I think some of these issues, just to say, are not just in Wales, this is a UK-wide issue. But I hope that assures you that there are measures being taken to mitigate this and a pragmatic approach, which is really important.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
I think that does sound like something that we would do. We've got the corporate joint committees and there's that existing legal requirement for them to prepare those strategic development plans. But again, I think it's really important that we do look at…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
I think the issue around the workforce is really important. I know the previous Cabinet Secretary has said that. But it is around making sure that we’re encouraging people and have those skills. We’re keen to have discussions with the Minister for skills as…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you, James. As you know, there’s now a Cabinet Minister who has responsibility for planning, which is not me. Neil had agreed to come to the committee before the role was changed, but I am grateful to Neil for being here today. So, there is a Cabinet…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Altaf. Committee members will have seen that one of the recommendations from Audit Wales was to explore longer term funding for the sector—something we've talked about this morning—and, again, I have accepted that recommendation in principle. The…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Hannah. As Members will know, the original co-operation agreement did not include a development corporation role for Unnos. The Unnos programme has been an important enabler for increasing the scale and pace of delivery of affordable and social…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
In terms of new towns, I've seen the announcements by UK Government. In Wales, any proposals for new towns should be brought forward through those strategic development plans and be designed to meet part of the housing need of that region as a whole. It's…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
With the functions of a land division, it seems to be there's no need for a new body that's evident at this point, but I look forward to seeing the evidence. But perhaps—
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Well, the Welsh Government has established that internal land division, with a remit to contribute towards the acceleration of the delivery of more well-designed, sustainable homes and places on public sector land. More recently, the land division's remit has…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
I think Neil would just briefly like to come in.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Social housing supply: Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Diolch, Siân. We've had that recent report from Audit Wales, and it is really important that we focus around long-term delivery, and I've outlined how we've written to the local authorities and the RSLs. I think this, combined with the actions being taken as…
