Janet Finch-Saunders:
Housing, home ownership, owner-occupation and its available provision provide a litmus test for how well a society operates. The rights and choice of home ownership should be available to all, and inadequate policy in this area is a sad indictment of any society—economically, socially and culturally. That is why it is so important that we, as an Assembly and collectively, provide the Welsh people with access to their own homes and stability within them. We all recognise the tough economic climate but we should also seize the opportunities that still present to us during these tough times. We, as policy makers, have a duty to scrutinise the forthcoming housing Bill so that we do not miss the chance to shape rigorous, meaningful policy.
Joyce Watson
Thank you very much for taking an intervention. What discussions have you had with Westminster regarding the bedroom tax and the effect that it might have on those fleeing domestic abuse?
Deputy Presiding Officer
Order. I deprecate Members who read interventions; it is not good style. You may wish to respond, Janet.
Janet Finch-Saunders
Out of courtesy to the Member, I would like to say that I am not the Minister for housing. I think that you need to ask that question to the housing Minister here. I will say that I have had numerous conversations with people who are really desperate for home accommodation. I can endorse the points made my Mark Isherwood about how the situation in Wales is really becoming much worse.
Out of concern, rather than political point-scoring, I raise the subject of NewBuy Cymru. We supported its intention to provide a mortgage guarantee scheme to help those struggling to get that essential first foot onto the property ladder. Therefore, it was incredibly disquieting that the policy was scrapped so soon after its initial introduction. Well-established property developers such as Redrow, Macbryde Homes and the Watkin Jones Group have expressed their deep concerns regarding the implications for their ability to build new homes. They argue that Wales is at a distinct disadvantage compared with other parts of the UK, where buyers have benefited from schemes like NewBuy, HomeBuy Direct and Help to Buy in England, and, in Scotland, there is LIFT, the low-cost initiative for first-time buyers. While the UK Government has Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme will be available from January 2012, bringing, we hope, much-needed relief, what is the Welsh Government doing now to support prospective property owners to buy their own homes?
As pertains to landlords, I am sure that we all appreciate that tenants that are subject to unprofessional or criminal activity suffer greatly. With over 100 separate laws already in place to regulate, the problem is not a lack of laws. Moreover, it is a problem because of the inability—and possibly the lack of will and resource—of local authorities to enforce robustly steps against such bad practice. The proposals for a mandatory and complex registration scheme for those who operate in the private rented sector will impose an overly bureaucratic licensing scheme that only serves to dissuade existing landlords—and we must not forget that they are providing a valuable service. I would urge the Minister to outline the plans that he has to work with local authorities to clamp down on criminal landlords and rogue operators, who, it is fair to say, are in the minority.
The Residential Landlords Association in Wales has called for the establishment of—
Elin Jones rose
Janet Finch-Saunders
I am never going to get through this is. If I do, and I have time left, then of course I will take your intervention.
The Residential Landlords Association in Wales has called for the establishment of a Welsh housing survey to provide a more detailed picture across all housing tenures, and it could be used by other Government departments, local authorities and housing associations—I would like to add estate agents as well to that—to grasp market trends in the private rented sector, such as rent and numbers of occupants. Minister, what plans do you have to establish a straightforward, uncomplicated survey that addresses current Welsh housing trends within any forthcoming legislation? You said that local development plans were there to assist delivery. I beg to differ. I will not elaborate on this point; there is plenty of opportunity in other debates to do that. The Welsh Government’s ambitious targets for tackling homelessness in Wales are to be welcomed, but it is a sad indictment of any society that a single individual can easily fall through the cracks. While I have been sitting here today I have heard of a 19-year-old in my constituency who recently lost his employment, told his landlord that he would be two weeks late with the rent, and has found himself evicted. Unfortunately, he has come to me a little too late, but those are issues that we are dealing with all the time. Minister, what assessment have you made of Crisis UK’s homeless monitor for Wales 2012, which showed that statutory homeless applications were up 3%?
Deputy Presiding Officer:
Conclude now, please
Janet Finch-Saunders
I would also ask what extra resources you are putting into local authorities. The importance of getting the housing Bill right cannot be overstated, but I believe that we all need to work together in this regard.