Julie James: It is clear from data analysis, and from my discussions with partners across the housing sector, that there is significant demand for affordable housing, and social housing in particular. I recognise more homes are needed, which is why building more homes for social rent is a priority for this Government.
Julie James: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I intend to take forward an ambitious programme of work to enhance the safety of residents living in higher risk buildings in Wales. The Welsh Government has a strong record in advancing fire safety. Deputy Presiding Officer, as you will certainly know, we were the first country in the world to require sprinklers in all newly built and converted houses and...
Julie James: In the first instance, we will secure immediate improvements in the here and now. In advance of more far-reaching reform, we will focus on generating culture change and making our existing processes work more effectively to ensure resident safety. We will bring forward amendments to existing legislation in support of this where required. I've already indicated that I aim to table amendments...
Julie James: I hear absolutely what David Melding says, and of course there is a temptation to want to do it quickly, because we all understand the danger, if you like, and obviously we don't want to see a repeat of any of the tragedy that we saw at Grenfell. Anyone who's seen any of the members of the Justice4Grenfell group speak will have heard their heartfelt plea. But one of the other pleas that they...
Julie James: I don't want you to think that because I'm saying we accept the recommendations in principle it's a mealy-mouthed way of saying that we get what they're saying but we're going to do something different. What we mean by that is that we've not yet had sufficient time to work through the detailed road map of implementing the recommendations. Just to be clear, we're not saying that there's some...
Julie James: On the 'in principle' point, I made the point earlier, we are not saying, 'Thanks very much; we kind of agree with you, but we're going to do it a different way.' What we are saying is that we accept all of the recommendations and we are working through a detailed plan to come back—I'm very happy to keep Members updated with that—on each one to make sure that we know exactly what we're...
Julie James: I don't disagree with that. As we said, we put an obligation on new build, the big issue for us is how on earth do we get the retrofit to happen. So, nobody's arguing that it should be done, it's just a question of how on earth we're to do it. The other thing is, the technology is changing all the time, so a sprinkler system in 2002 wouldn't have looked anything like the misting systems that...
Julie James: Yes, I don't disagree with anything that Helen Mary has just said. I just want to reassure Members that our information shows us that all high-rise residential buildings in the Welsh social housing sector have sprinklers fitted, have plans in place to retrofit or are in the process of retrofitting. So, we know that all of those are in plan. We have much to do in the private sector, however,...
Julie James: Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. I apologise for my craggy-sounding voice today. Today I would like to update Members on the recommendations of the working group on local government. I would also like to set out the next steps following the conclusion of this work. The working group was created by my predecessor as part of an agreement between Welsh Government and local government...
Julie James: I must also thank and congratulate Derek Vaughan on his fair and inclusive chairing of the meetings. Derek’s commitment to this group and his belief in what could be achieved were fundamental to the group’s progress. I was very pleased to see that he received the CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours this month for his contribution to political and public service, which is well deserved....
Julie James: Thank you for that series of questions. I think there were 24, so, I'll do my best to answer them. This proposal has been developed, I cannot emphasise enough, completely co-productively with local government. This is not something that the Welsh Government is proposing to do to local government, it is something we are doing together. It comes out of the working group. The working group...
Julie James: Yes, thank you for that. You've absolutely hit the nail on the head; I think there is no reason at all why we can't deliver public services in Wales as a single all-Wales public service approach. We're going down a road of discussing that with local government in this instance, but also we've had discussions with the health boards. I was very upfront in saying to Mark Isherwood, and I'll say...
Julie James: Well, the very simple answer to the last question is, 'Not at all.' So, basically it's a joint committee like any other, except that it's a body corporate in its own right. The reason that that's important is because it means it can directly employ staff and have its own budget, and it's a legal entity in its own right. So, when an authority delegates its functions to a joint committee that...
Julie James: Well, I don't agree with the basic premise of Caroline Jones's submission there. I'm not looking to reduce the number of principal authorities in Wales. We're specifically not doing that. There will be provision in the Bill for voluntary mergers, where local authorities feel that they want to come together, but there will be no mandatory merging of local authorities. Instead, as I said, we...
Julie James: Welsh Government provides £108 million each year to social landlords in the form of the major repairs allowance to councils and dowry gap funding to large-scale voluntary transfer housing associations. This is to ensure that everyone living in our 225,000 social homes in Wales will live in good-quality homes by December 2020.
Julie James: Yes, I'm happy to do that. If you send the details to the Minister for environment, we can, between us, look at the specific matter that you are dealing with. Actually, much more generally, we are about to receive the report of the decarbonisation of housing working group. They are looking at housing across the piece, not just social housing. So, we are expecting recommendations from them...
Julie James: This is actually a question on the quality of the housing supply, and that's a question about the actual housing supply. But we've only just reissued 'Planning Policy Wales' just before Christmas. That emphasises a place-building approach, with an emphasis on sustainable place models. So what we're asking local authorities to do, within their LDPs, is to look at sustainable place making with...
Julie James: So, at the moment, we've concentrated on the Welsh housing quality standard for publicly provided housing. Mike Hedges knows very well that the Welsh housing quality standard asks social landlords to get to a standard assessment procedure rating of 65 or higher, or an energy performance certificate D rating equivalent. About 97 per cent of our stock so far is up at that standard and we've got...
Julie James: I have read their report with interest. However, it is a devolved matter and our own independent task and finish group for leasehold reform is on schedule to deliver its report to me in July. I will be reviewing its recommendations and then deciding which actions to take forward for Wales.
Julie James: I entirely agree with the Member's analysis of that. We do have a significant problem in some of the 106 agreements that have been negotiated between developers and councils throughout Wales. And one of the difficulties that has arisen as a result of that is the issue around the adoption of roads, the standard they have to be brought up to, the beneficial use of the estate in question prior...
