Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those comments. It might be helpful if I returned to the issue of what we've learned from the Scottish legislation in terms of our approach here in Wales. It is a fact that rents did rise in the first 12 months following the introduction of the Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Act 2011. That amended the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984, which I previously referred to,...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you very much for those comments and also recognise that bringing in legislation to this effect was a Plaid Cymru manifesto commitment. As it's something that the Conservative Party are taking forward in England, and I know it's something that UKIP have spoken about in favour of before, I think that it's good that we have cross-party consensus on this particular piece of legislation,...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those comments and questions and for your recognition right at the start of your contribution that, really, there is a public need for this legislation, which has been acknowledged across the UK, and certainly a public need to increase the transparency within the sector and to allow people to move into the sector and between different properties within the sector as...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. Yesterday, I laid the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Bill, together with the explanatory memorandum, before the National Assembly for Wales. I am pleased to have this opportunity to make a statement about the Bill. Members will know that we are committed to removing barriers to entering and moving within the private rented sector. 'Prosperity for All', our national...
Rebecca Evans: I agree that it has to be locally led and locally delivered, which is why it's important for areas that have the opportunity to become business improvement districts to look at the success that has been generated in other parts of Wales, where the local members and local businesses have decided to opt in. I can see that time is running out, so I will bring things to a close by talking very...
Rebecca Evans: Yes.
Rebecca Evans: The targeted regeneration investment programme is very much about locally led solutions for local regeneration. It's undertaken on a regional basis, but those discussions are undertaken amongst those local authorities within the region and it is for those local authorities to use their local knowledge to decide how to spend that £100 million. Welsh Government won't be directing how that...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much. I do welcome the debate today and the spirit in which it was brought forward by David Melding. I don't think I have enjoyed a debate as much as the one today for quite some time, because we have heard some really constructive and thoughtful contributions. 'Prosperity for All', our national strategy, makes it clear that communities are a national asset, and we will invest...
Rebecca Evans: Formally.
Rebecca Evans: Great. Thank you very much for those comments. Again, I know that we've met to discuss the concerns that you've heard from residents in Mid and West Wales, both from the perspective of the people who are park home owners, but also from the perspective of the people who own the sites as well. So, you've certainly, I know, heard both sides of the argument and recognised, as I do, that there...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you very much for those points. I certainly know that you, for many years, have been a champion of the park home residents within your own constituency. I know we've had meetings to discuss the concerns that your constituents have been raising with you as well. I do hope that the fact that there is this backstop of the residential property tribunal will give some assurance to...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those questions. I'll start where you finished, in terms of the visibility of the requirement to pay the commission rate that people agree when they enter into their contract. Well, it is within the contract, but this goes back to the kind of issue I was talking about in response to Bethan Sayed, where there is no conveyancing. This is essentially laypeople, in most...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those questions. During the consultation process, there were various issues that did come to light that were not directly related, necessarily, to the commission rates, but they were issues that local authorities need to be very much aware of in considering, as we move forward with this issue. Lack of information and understanding, even, about the mobile homes Act was...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for your welcome for the statement. When I said in the statement that I had given long and hard deliberation to this issue, then I was absolutely serious because this has been a very difficult issue in terms of gathering the information that we need, in terms of both evidence and the views of the sector, which are so polarised that it has been very difficult to find a way...
Rebecca Evans: The regulations to achieve this will be subject to the scrutiny of this Assembly by the affirmative procedure, and I will bring forward regulations at the earliest opportunity in the new year. I believe that this approach strikes a reasonable balance in protecting the interests of all parties. Reducing the commission rate gradually will help reduce the risks to the viability of some sites by...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Shortly before recess, I published the summary of the responses to our consultation on the park homes commission rate and outlined my intention to reduce the maximum rate. I am pleased to be able to provide Members with further details about the pace and rate of change and of the wider actions I propose to take to support the park homes sector. I'd like...
Rebecca Evans: I thank you very much for that, and I would absolutely commend Newport City Homes on the work that it's undertaken immediately following the tragedy at Grenfell and since. They've taken robust action in terms of the building itself—so, introducing that sprinkler system, for example, but they've also been very clear in terms of tenant communication. I know that they knocked on every single...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those questions. You started off by saying that concerns weren't adequately addressed, and it's absolutely right; it seems that the concerns of the residents of Grenfell weren't listened to, and they were raising those concerns over a long period, which is why it's so important that, in the Hackitt review, the voice of residents comes through very strongly as...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for those questions. I agree with you that the report is an extremely sobering read in terms of the changes and the breadth and depth of changes that we need to be making in terms of the regulatory system for high-rise buildings here in Wales. Although the report was very much focused at England, we take it very much in a Welsh context too, because of the very clear...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. Dame Judith's report, although focused on England, provides a robust basis from which to work here. We've moved quickly to take this important work forward and I've today announced my intention to establish an expert group to develop the recommendations into detailed and practicable changes for Wales.
