Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much. I'd like to begin by recognising and welcoming the fact that all parties have recognised how important this Bill is, and how important it is that we achieve the reclassification of RSLs. It is, indeed, a serious Bill that deserves serious consideration and serious scrutiny, as David Melding quite rightly pointed out. I would say that we haven't heard the last, certainly,...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. So, as we've already heard, the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee, in its consideration of the Bill, recommended that the National Assembly conducts post-legislative scrutiny of the Bill should it become an Act to ensure, in particular, that tenants' rights are safeguarded and that RSLs are not disposing of land and assets in a way unanticipated by the Welsh...
Rebecca Evans: When an RSL fails to perform satisfactorily, there is a range of powers available to the Welsh Ministers. The current threshold for taking action is generally where there has been mismanagement or misconduct. We have had to make this threshold more specific as it was one of the issues of control identified by the ONS. Therefore, the Bill amends the threshold to a failure 'to comply with a...
Rebecca Evans: Will you take an intervention? Could you tell us what the reply from UK Finance says?
Rebecca Evans: Well, you can read it, because it's in your hand.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I've listened carefully to the comments made by David Melding today and in the Stage 2 committee session, and also the comments made by Bethan Sayed today, and I genuinely believe that we all want the same outcome here, that where an officer or board member or manager is appointed by the Welsh Ministers to ensure that an RSL complies with the requirement imposed by or under an...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. David Melding referred to some of the early concerns that were raised in respect of the amendment power, and it did appear that the concern raised by the stakeholders at the early stages stemmed from a misunderstanding of the exact scope of the power of section 18 of the Bill and a concern that funders, who may not be familiar with the legislation, might perceive an open-ended...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. The Welsh Government believes in social housing; we believe in affordable housing. It's our ambition for everyone to live in a home that meets their needs and supports a healthy, prosperous and successful life. We know that we must work across Government to achieve this. 'Prosperity for All' not only affords housing the priority it deserves, but reaffirms our long-standing...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you very much for those comments and particularly welcome the way in which you opened the remarks in a positive sense. I will certainly seek to move forward in that spirit as well. You mentioned that you are pleased to hear that I'm keen to work with local authorities, particularly, to start building at scale and pace, and you would have heard me talk in the Chamber previously about...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those questions. I'll begin where you left off, in terms of the support for house building and support for people aspiring to own a home, particularly in rural communities. Because we know that, in rural communities, there is a particularly acute challenge in terms of affordability, particularly, I think, for some of our key workers—nurses, teachers and so on—who...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those questions. I'd begin by reflecting on your comments about wage increases and how difficult some people find it in order to get on the housing ladder. Our schemes today do make that easier, but I agree it's not for everybody. So, there will be an important focus from Welsh Government on ensuring that, actually, we have a healthy housing sector right across the...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you very, very much for those comments. I particularly would begin by saying that I share your interest in co-operative housing and seeing what further we could do there, because, in the time I've been in post, I've been able to see—well, one particularly stands out in my mind, the example of the co-operative housing that we've supported in Carmarthen. I was really struck by the...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for those questions and I'd certainly welcome the opportunity to come along to a meeting of the cross-party group and I look forward to agreeing a date with you in future. I think that your passion for small and medium-sized enterprises and also the recognition that you have of the fact that they can play a greater role in house building in Wales is very welcome. You'll be...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those questions. I do very much recognise that the market in Newport is being impacted by the plans to scrap the tolls on the second Severn crossing. I recognise that and we're very alive to that in Government. That is why I was so pleased to attend, this week, the launch of Melin Homes's vision for Newport and parts of Monmouthshire for the next five years. They...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to move the motion and to open the Stage 4 debate for the Regulation of Registered Social Landlords (Wales) Bill. I'd like to thank Assembly Members for the cross-party support for this Bill, and for the scrutiny that has taken place throughout the passage of the Bill. I'd like to thank the sub-committee of the External Affairs and Additional Legislation...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much. I think this final debate has shown just how robust the scrutiny process has been throughout the passage of the Bill so far and the level of interest there's been and the seriousness with which Members have taken their roles in terms of scrutinising this Bill. I very much welcome that. So, I would ask Members to support the motion and support the Bill, which, as David...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you very much for that question, and I can confirm that rent within the social housing sector is one of those specific issues that we've asked the review of social housing to look into. As far as setting rent levels for next year is concerned, Welsh Government has asked Heriot-Watt University to undertake a piece of research in order to advise us, and I specifically asked the...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for that question. We're very keen to replicate the success of Melin Homes and to provide RSLs with the opportunity in order to undertake the kind of work that Melin Homes has been doing. This is one of the reasons why passing our registered social landlords Bill yesterday in the Assembly was so important, because it does allow RSLs to continue their work, which isn't just about...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you for that question. I would say that there is always value in learning and the experience of university, but we do need to be doing more to ensure that there is parity of esteem between academic and more practical skills as well. So, there's certainly work to do there in terms of perceptions about careers in construction and other areas, and I can confirm that I have been working...
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government does not support the devolution of welfare benefits or their administration to Wales. As a matter of principle, we should all be entitled to an equal claim from our welfare state. The needs of citizens within the UK, wherever they live, should be equally met.
