Carl Sargeant: I’m very grateful for the Member’s questions. There were an awful lot of them, so I’ve tried to scribble them down as you were raising them. The definition of affordable housing: of course, I recognise the issue that wherever you are in Wales, there are different elements that will have an effect there—the cost of housing solutions and markets drives different pricings and need, but...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her question. Empty homes scheme—we have a very positive empty homes scheme, with over 6,000 units already having been brought back into use. There is a difficulty—and I agree with many Members in here—that sometimes empty homes can be a blight on the community and they’re very, very valuable assets if we can bring them back up to standard. Often it’s a...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his comments and his questions. I don’t disagree with anything he said. The issue around council housing and co-operative housing is something that we will be pursuing as part of our 20,000 target. Indeed, I was in the constituency of Mick Antoniw only a few weeks ago launching a co-operative housing scheme that is very successful, where the community are embracing...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you for those very brief questions. HMOs: I have not ruled out anything in terms of the opportunity to bring more stock back to the market. The opportunity is to ensure that we get best value for money and best value for our clients. So, the deal with HMOs, or the transferral from HMOs into housing associations, is something we could indeed talk about, but it has to be of value to...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity today to discuss the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s annual review for 2015-16, which is entitled ‘Towards a Fairer Wales’. The review captures the wide range of the work the commission has undertaken in the past year to promote equality in Wales and presents a forward look of its priorities. The EHRC has a unique...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to respond to this generally positive debate. I’d like to thank Assembly Members for participating in the debate today. I’d also like to thank the Equality and Human Rights Commission for its continued work to improve the lives of people here in Wales. I know they are in the Chamber today—upstairs in the gallery of the...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her question. I was not notified by the UK Government ahead of yesterday’s announcement, but, given the nature of it, I will be seeking an urgent, early discussion with the UK Ministers.
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the questions from the Member. Of course, the area she talks about is steeped in the history of the armed forces and the support for local communities as well. Indeed, I’ve already met with Joyce Watson, yourself and Kirsty Williams, the local Member, this morning, to talk about these very issues that you raise. I will make that part of my letter to the Ministry regarding...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his questions. I share his frustration and concern about the actions of the UK Government to remove the armed forces’ bases from Wales. The armed forces are valued in Wales, and they bring a lot of economic and social benefits to communities right across our communities—the Member alludes to many of them. I will start a dialogue with the UK Government Minister with...
Carl Sargeant: I’m very grateful for the local Member’s words, describing the issues that will impact on Pembrokeshire and the local community. I also recognise that this isn’t just about the armed forces, in themselves. It is a whole community resilience issue. I strongly believe that all Governments, of whatever political persuasion, have a duty to support communities where the armed forces are...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his question. He is right to say that communities have been formed around many of these bases, and there are long-standing links between the armed forces and local communities. In many cases, they are very good relationships and they work in the communities—as Joyce Watson said, it is about volunteering and sharing skills and opportunities. We have a very good...
Carl Sargeant: This is a decision of the UK Government. I’m disappointed that the Member sees fit to attack the overseas aid budget—I think that’s a necessity also. But the impact of this decision will have to be fully considered. I will be in further conversation with the UK Government Ministers in regard to the impact that it has had in Wales.
Carl Sargeant: Diolch, Lywydd. The last few years have been very difficult for working families. Many have struggled to make ends meet and manage the consequences of the austerity imposed by the UK Government. One of the concerns working parents have raised with us time and time again is the cost of childcare and the impact that has on them, their finances and their quality of life. Since early summer,...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his questions on this particular issue. The Member will be aware from the statement that we intend to launch the pilot schemes in September of next year, partly because of the questions that he raised about capacity and opportunity within the sector. We are engaging currently, and have been for some time, working with both local authorities and childcare providers. I...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his generally positive comments that he brings to the Chamber today. The Member’s first question was whether there was a strong emphasis on economic opportunity within the statement. It’s unintended if there was, because we believe that there are cross-cutting themes about what the statement does and the delivery of this programme does. It certainly is a great...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his positive comments. He’s right to raise the issue that this is the most generous programme being delivered in the UK by this Government. The UK are indeed having great difficulty introducing their general programme across England. I think it was York that had significant issues around the strike price for agreeing what childcare would be with the private sector,...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her contribution—it poses some very interesting questions: what if, 20 years ago, we were able to change the way of our future? We’d be looking very different, perhaps, today. But she raised some important points during her contribution. The issue around wraparound care is an important one that we are working with the private sector, the voluntary sector and the...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for her positive contribution. The Member’s right with regard to, in many local authorities, there is a raft of services delivered in different ways across the 22 local authorities. This has given us the opportunity to look at what works best, where, and how, maybe, we can broaden that. I don’t envisage that we’ll have one scheme as we move forward to the end of the...
Carl Sargeant: Thank you, Presiding Officer. This time of year particularly reminds us of all those who have fought in conflicts to preserve the way of life we have today. This year we have commemorated some of the biggest battles of the first world war. We remember those who lost their lives at Jutland and during the battle of the Somme, especially in Mametz Wood. Thousands of Welsh servicemen made the...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for his questions and his commitment to the armed forces. Obviously, devolution poses challenges, but also opportunities and it would be wrong for Mark Isherwood not to raise the good things that are happening in Wales that aren’t happening in England. He raised the issue of the pupil grant. I’m not going to shy away from the pupil deprivation grant in Wales; it’s a...
