Julie James: The project hasn't asked for any support from the Government so far. We've made it plain to the project that, if they wanted to discuss any potential support with us, we're happy to do so. But as of this moment, they have not asked for that support. If they do want that support, then I'd be more than happy to discuss it with them. We have, of course, discussed with Swansea Council, and other...
Julie James: Thank you, Peter Fox. The Welsh Government continues to support local authorities and third sector providers to assist people in housing need. We have provided over £207 million for housing support and homelessness services this financial year alone, supporting local authorities and third sector providers to deliver front-line services to prevent and relieve homelessness.
Julie James: Thank you, Peter. In support of our ambition to end homelessness, as I said, we're already investing over £207 million in homelessness and housing support services this financial year alone. Our main homelessness prevention grant is the housing support grant, which is provided to local authorities. In 2021-22, this was increased by £40 million, which is over a 30 per cent increase, to...
Julie James: Diolch, Natasha Asghar. The Welsh Government is committed to ending homelessness across all regions of Wales and has invested over £207 million in homelessness and housing support services, as well as a record £300 million in social housing in this financial year alone. This includes over £67 million in social housing grant for authorities in South Wales East.
Julie James: Thank you, Natasha. I've just set out quite a lot of what we've already done in answer to Peter Fox, but, in addition to that, we've allocated over £67.496 million to local authorities in South Wales East via the social housing grant programme. We've also established the £89 million transitional accommodation capital programme to increase good-quality, longer term accommodation to support...
Julie James: Thank you, Mark Isherwood. We need to increase tree cover in Wales. Woodland that is felled is normally required to be replanted as a condition of the felling licence. Where there are good reasons not to do so, loss in tree cover is usually compensated for elsewhere.
Julie James: Thank you, Mark. I pay tribute to your efforts on behalf of the curlew. You know that I've come along to the meetings of the curlew protection programme. I'm really pleased to see that we're working alongside them. I'll just say, and I said this at the weekend to a number of groups I spoke with, that we use the tree as an iconic symbol of what we're trying to do in both carbon capture and in...
Julie James: Our Wales transport strategy, 'Llwybr Newydd', aims to reduce the cost and improve the accessibility of sustainable transport for everyone in Wales, including students. Our programme for government includes commitments to invest in buses, rail and active travel, and to explore options for extending the MyTravelPass scheme for young people.
Julie James: Our Welsh building safety fund asks that responsible persons of buildings of 11 metres and more submit an expression of interest. This is the starting point for accessing support from the Welsh Government. I encourage responsible persons to complete an expression of interest for their buildings as soon as possible.
Julie James: We are developing a new road safety strategy that will complement 'Llwybr Newydd: The Wales Transport Strategy 2021' and the 'National Transport Delivery Plan 2022 to 2027'. We are also progressing two major road safety initiatives from our programme for government: introducing a 20 mph default speed limit on restricted roads and tackling pavement parking.
Julie James: Upcoming England and Wales legislation will enhance leaseholders’ rights by addressing the Law Commission’s recommendations for reform; improving service charge transparency; reforming legal costs; and ending the taking of commission for leasehold buildings insurance. A joint approach has many benefits, including enabling reforms to be implemented more quickly in Wales.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to make this statement in relation to the Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill, which was laid before the Senedd yesterday. The air we breathe, and the sounds carried on it, affect our health and well-being every minute of every day, even when we are asleep. The World Health Organization has described air pollution as the world’s largest...
Julie James: To support reductions in air pollution from transport, the Bill gives Welsh Ministers the power to create trunk-road charging schemes to improve air quality in the vicinity of trunk roads. The Bill also gives Ministers more flexibility to apply net proceeds arising from a scheme for the purposes of air quality, widening the current provision, which only applies net proceeds to transport...
Julie James: Thank you, Janet. I think that I found three questions in that six and a half minutes, but perhaps you will let me know later if I'm wrong. The first question was nonsensical. I am very delighted to introduce the Bill now. The idea that we then go over the fact that we are introducing it now—I just really wasn't following you there. I think that you were accepting that we are introducing...
Julie James: Thank you very much, Delyth, for that series of comments and questions. Obviously, we're in the same broad place here. I'm very glad to be bringing this forward. It will make a substantial difference to the people of Wales. It will also help our local authorities target their efforts, and that's very important too, and that goes directly to the heart of the social justice point you make,...
Julie James: Yes, thank you, Jenny. So, as I said, we have a national strategy, but we have a locally delivered and local plan, and in some cases, actually, a regional plan, where obviously Cardiff and its hinterland will need to work together, as will other cities across Wales. It's a bit more of a complicated piece. This isn't a stand-alone Act; I can't emphasise that enough. So, the national air...
Julie James: Diolch, Jane. Just to clarify, then, as I keep saying, we're amending existing legislation in this Bill as well as introducing new things, and the important part that we're amending is that, currently, local authorities are required to review air quality in the areas from time to time. What this is doing is putting a statutory duty on them to do that in a cycle, so that they have to do an...
Julie James: Yes, thank you very much, Huw. So, it was a pleasure to come to the cross-party group, and we absolutely will continue to engage with everyone. What we need is a Bill that's capable of delivering improved benefits over time. So, I do think it's ambitious enough for where we are now. It might not be ambitious enough for where we want to be in five years, and that's the point about...
Julie James: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am pleased to have this opportunity to share a significant progress update on the series of actions we are taking as part of the Welsh building safety programme. There are six strands to my update today, ranging from our work in making developers responsible for putting right the issues with buildings they have constructed, to taking forward work to remediate orphan...
Julie James: Also, here in Wales, our fund is not limited to buildings with unsafe cladding. The Grenfell fire tragedy highlighted the wider issue of fire safety more generally in high-rise buildings. We invited expressions of interest from all responsible persons for all residential buildings of 11m or over in height. However, on the issue of cladding, all high-rise buildings with known aluminium...
