Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the Member’s question. Indeed, the spokesperson for housing seems to have passed on the baton to the Member on the backbench there. I would urge the Member to read all of the report of Alan Holmans’s estimates. Indeed, 174,000 homes or flats will be needed—this equates to around 8,700 new homes each year, which would mean around 3,300 would be non-market social...
Carl Sargeant: Well, I’m not convinced we can’t do more. I think what we’ve said is the 20,000 model that we’re using is a starter and the process of looking at financial modelling and the ability to deliver 20,000 homes. I’m very relaxed about shaping the way that looks in terms of the make-up of the 20,000. If we can get more energy-efficient, cheaper homes to run longer term in a similar period...
Carl Sargeant: The Rent Smart Wales team has been under immense pressure, particularly in recent months, with the late rush of registrations. Inevitably, some queries have taken longer than usual to answer. I applaud the huge effort, though, put in by the team to manage demand, which includes recruiting more staff.
Carl Sargeant: It’s absolutely the right thing to do. In fact, the Members opposite, I think, voted against the legislation so I’m not surprised you’re complaining about it now. Let me tell you about the staff. I’ve visited the facility, and I dare say I don’t think the Member has visited the facility, and to suggest that they’re in chaos is just completely rubbish. As of midnight last night, 11...
Carl Sargeant: Well, you’re—. ‘No’, is the answer to the Member’s question, and I haven’t said we’re going to criminalise them, either. You’re making that up again, as you do on your leaflets, generally.
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the Member’s question today. We are working across all Welsh Government-related policy areas to develop strategies to increase children’s play opportunities. These are areas outlined in ‘Wales—a Play Friendly Country’, including schools, planning, traffic and transport, and health and well-being.
Carl Sargeant: I absolutely recognise the Member’s concern. Indeed, I came into the world of politics because of play areas in my particular area—wanting to do better for the community, and, indeed, very selfishly, for my daughter, when I was taking them to the park and it wasn’t up to standard. So, I think the Member has a valid point. We have introduced play sufficiency assessments for local...
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful to the Member for Delyn for asking me that important question. It’s great to welcome Ysgol Merllyn and the prime minister, Tony, with his historic name, to the Chamber, too. The Member raises a very important point. Indeed, the statutory guidance, ‘Wales—a Play Friendly Country’ sets out what is required by local authorities in fulfilling their role—the youth clubs...
Carl Sargeant: This Assembly has obviously got a very strategic role in the way that we manage and create policy. The Member may wish to readdress that question, as he is a councillor in the local authority he talks about. It’s an interesting position when he says about ‘your party’ closing play centres and schools, et cetera. That was the man who was in our party, but he changed position, he went...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for South Wales West for her question. Communities for Work is operational across Wales. It plays a key role in supporting my commitment to increase employability as a route out of poverty. The programme is already making a real difference to people in our most deprived communities, supporting 5,630 people, of which 898 have entered direct employment.
Carl Sargeant: I think it would be fair just to clarify about the Communities First programme. I’ve not made a decision on that yet, as the Member well knows, and I’ve also not said that this programme is intended to replace a Communities First programme, albeit I have said, as long as we can maintain a programme in Lift and the Communities for Work programme, I will continue to do so, despite that...
Carl Sargeant: Again, not to pre-empt my decision, of course, and I know the Member wasn’t intending to suggest that, I believe that the Lift programme and Communities for Work are doing a great job in our communities. I have asked my officials to discuss with the Welsh European Funding Office options to extend the Communities for Work programme beyond April 2018. I've asked them to submit advice to me on...
Carl Sargeant: The Member is absolutely right, and I believe that, as I mentioned earlier in my contributions, the two areas of concentration for this Government have to be around economic regeneration and building the jobs, skills and opportunities and confidence for people to get into the market, to give them long-term stability. This programme, Communities for Work, and Lift are just one of the elements...
Carl Sargeant: I thank John Griffiths for his question. ‘Taking Wales Forward’ sets out our commitment to ensure services and facilities support community development. We will promote community pharmacies, strengthen community provision across the NHS, develop community schools and pilot community learning centres, as well as develop a made-in-Wales approach to community assets.
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the number of discussions that the Member, and, indeed, Jayne Bryant, the neighbouring Member, have had with me, particularly around Newport. I can’t commit to the future of any programme, and I’ve said very clearly, and I’ve written to all AMs, that I will be making a decision over the coming month, which will be well informed. The issue around Communities First is...
Carl Sargeant: I’m grateful for the very pertinent question the Member raises today. He’s absolutely right—we should not forget the historic value of some of these buildings, and also the sentimental value and respect that they represent. Of course, we have the programmes looking at a made-in-Wales approach to community asset transfer, but we are in a difficult period of austerity, and we are having...
Carl Sargeant: Parents have access to a range of services that promote positive parenting, delivered by partners in local government, health and education. This forms part of a package of measures to promote positive parenting, including the ‘Parenting. Give it time’ campaign and our significant investment in Families First and Flying Start.
Carl Sargeant: Well, I’m working with my team now to push out the next phase of positive parenting. I think the Member is absolutely right—we have to engage with parents. I’m not convinced, actually, as we sit here today, that poster campaigns or website-based programmes are the real deal for positive parenting. I think there is a lot of peer-to-peer support or mentoring through community groups,...
Carl Sargeant: Indeed, and who am I to argue with Julie Morgan in this field? Of course, I wasn’t invited to the ramble—maybe that was a good idea. [Laughter.] But the Member is absolutely right: I think it is about the interventions that we have with each other. Relationships—what works well and what doesn’t work well, and a non-stigma approach to how we are able to enhance the development of young...
Carl Sargeant: I thank the Member for Neath for his question. Welsh Government recognises the valuable role social enterprise-delivered childcare services make to the provision of childcare in Wales. We provide support to enhance their resilience through guidance to local authorities, funding through our children and families delivery grant and by providing business advice and support through Business Wales.
