3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Could I just bring up one other point that you’ve made this morning? Good morning, by the way. You mentioned in your response to Lesley just now that it’s important to meet cabinet members in order to discuss issues with regard to sites, et cetera, but you…
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
I see that Ian's hand is up.
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
But in terms of the families and children, do you also feel that having a transit site that has been properly planned—do you think that's better than the situation at present?
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
So, you’re looking specifically at planning for a transit site rather than the approach that Ynys Môn and Gwynedd are taking around a negotiated site. Is anybody else here this morning looking at something that is more in line with what Gwynedd and Môn are…
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Okay, thank you. Steph, in Blaenau Gwent, I think, yes?
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
And what evidence are you using in your assessments?
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Thank you. Ian.
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
So, there are two different approaches happening in Flintshire compared with Anglesey, and that's interesting. And the other authorities, would you like to come in? Okay. Pembrokeshire—Robert. Thank you.
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
And can I just go back to Dave in Flintshire? Is the site that you're working towards establishing a site that is recognised as a transit site, or is there a different option, similar to what happens in other places, namely that these unauthorised sites are…
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
So, is there a specific transit site on Anglesey, or do you work with wherever an unauthorised site establishes itself?
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Yes. So, you've outlined some of the challenges there. Elliw from Anglesey.
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Good morning, everyone. The accommodation assessments include assessing the need for transit provision. So, we will just focus on that element for now. How challenging is it to assess the need for transit provision? Can you give us an outline of how you go…
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
No, that's fair enough. Thank you very much, Chair.
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Do you think that there are differences across Wales, therefore? You’ve mentioned that there’s good practice in the south-east. Perhaps that good practice isn’t being seen in other areas of Wales—north Wales, perhaps, tends to be behind.
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
And then, what about that regional approach? Do you think that that’s part of the barrier as to why there aren’t these transitory places? Do we need a regional approach, with local authorities working together, perhaps?
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Certainly, we do need to look at the research. And there’s been mention that the Welsh Government intends to commission additional research in order to make recommendations. Do you think that this needs to be done—this additional work?
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Because it seems to me that that is concrete evidence of the need, if there are so many unauthorised encampments happening.
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Yes, and the simple question is: what’s stopping this from happening, of course? And do you, therefore, not accept what’s being said by local authorities, that there is no evidence? You’re saying that there is evidence, because there are all these sites that…
3 October 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Good morning. I'd like to look at transitory provision. The assessments look at these as well as permanent sites and, in the committee's inquiry two years ago, it came to our attention that there was a lack of transitory provision, and that this was a…
2 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
The housing charity, Shelter, has said that the UK Government would have to build 90,000 homes and flats for social rent in England to meet the UK Government's house building commitments, namely 1.5 million. According to Shelter, that would cost £11.8 billion…
2 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
'the biggest wave of social...housing for a generation.'
2 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you very much. So, you're saying there's more to this than just financial barriers, but it's entirely clear, isn't it, that there isn't enough money available to reach the Welsh Government's target, as things currently stand. And the results of that are…
2 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Okay. But that didn't answer the question on the additional finance that they've identified as being essential to move things forward. However, it was noted yesterday that almost 140,000 people were on social housing waiting lists. Although these people are…
2 October 2024 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government
Thank you, Llywydd. I also look forward to working with you on the housing portfolio. Yesterday, we discussed the findings of the Audit Wales report that stated that the Welsh Government target of 20,000 social homes won't be reached without significant…
1 October 2024 , Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government: More homes towards ending homelessness
Wales is in the midst of a severe housing crisis, with the use of temporary accommodation at an all-time high. At the end of May this year, there were 11,384 people in temporary accommodation, a third of whom were children under the age of 16. Most were…
