Julie James: Certainly, Jane. It was a pleasure to meet with you and the group that you brought with you. I've been meeting with a number of groups—with Mike and others—for a very long time now. What we're wanting to ensure is that those groups of people who haven't managed to make their way to us in one form or another are also included. We don't necessarily want the loudest voices to always be the...
Julie James: Thank you, Mike. You know I've met with a number of the residents and yourself in the buildings affected in your constituency, and we're very anxious that those residents who've done the right thing are properly looked after in this scheme as well, so that's yet another complexity. You highlight the problem of the multiplicity of different arrangements. There is one building in my own...
Julie James: I completely agree with your exposition on the subject. It is slightly more complicated, however. When Sue Essex was doing her piece of work, one of the areas that we were looking at was commonhold and the Scottish system, but actually the building safety scandal has really highlighted some serious defects in the way that commonhold works and the way that the liability is passed on. So, we...
Julie James: Thank you, Janet. I think I actually answered all your questions in my statement. But just to reiterate, if anyone thinks that their management company, or the management arrangements for their building—because there's a huge range of complex ways of managing these buildings—haven't been included, then just get in touch directly with us. It's easy enough to do—you can e-mail me directly...
Julie James: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, for the opportunity to update Members on our action to tackle what is a complex and sensitive issue. Members will know that I am committed to addressing building safety in Wales and continue to take forward our building remediation programme, alongside a significant programme of reform, to establish a fit-for-purpose building safety regime in...
Julie James: The Conservative Government should give us the consequential from HS2.
Julie James: —requires fair funding from the UK Government.
Julie James: Yes, of course.
Julie James: Yes, you said it wasn't part of your job, and I'm pointing out that that's hilarious.
Julie James: You pointed out that it was not part of your job, and I was pointing out that that was hilarious. Our transport strategy, 'Llwybr Newydd', sets out the path that we need to take, but implementation of that strategy requires fair funding from the UK Government. Transport causes 17 per cent of our carbon emissions and has been the slowest sector to reduce emissions. Improving this trend...
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. I can’t resist saying that it’s a shame for Janet that the people of Wales keep re-electing the Welsh Labour Government. A fact that she seems to always pass by. Llywydd, I welcome the opportunity to respond to this debate. Although, in a week when the railways have been brought to a standstill, airports brought to a standstill and petrol prices are on the increase again,...
Julie James: Formally.
Julie James: We expect that baseline review, the SLA part of that baseline review, to conclude before the end of this calendar year, just to be clear—so, not financial year. And then, we will be working with NRW to look at your recommendation 4, 'ensure that funding for NRW is commensurate with its roles and responsibilities', along with the committee's expectation of seeing an appropriate increase in...
Julie James: Diolch. I'd very much like to start by thanking the committee for preparing this comprehensive report, which they published on 23 March, and for giving me the opportunity to respond to it. I acknowledge the conclusions made within the report, and note the contents. Before I provide my response to the committee’s report and to the points made by Members here today, I would like to just take...
Julie James: Thank you, Peter. The national flood strategy sets out how we will manage the risk over the next decade, and underlines the importance we place on tackling flood risk and the growing impacts of climate change. This year, in conjunction with Plaid Cymru as part of the co-operation agreement, we announced a record level of investment of more than £240 million over the next three years to help...
Julie James: Thank you, Peter. The programme for government commits us to reducing flood risk for over 45,000 homes over the lifetime of this administration. This year we are investing over £71 million through local authorities and Natural Resources Wales. This is the most funding ever provided in Wales in a single year.
Julie James: Yes, absolutely, and this is a very difficult problem as the world changes around us. And so it's quite clear, isn't it, that many of us no longer shop in or go to town centres in the way that we used to in order to get ordinary goods and services. So, our 'town centre first' policy, which is embedded in the national planning framework, 'Future Wales', says that town centres should be the...
Julie James: Diolch. We have invested over £53.7 million in more than 100 projects that support the delivery of broader town-centre placemaking plans. We continue to invest and work in partnership with all sectors to make our towns and cities even better places to live, work and visit.
Julie James: Yes, there is a specialist insurance scheme, which I’m sure the Member is aware of, called Flood Re, which allows people who have properties in flood-risk areas—and I appreciate that it’s even more frustrating if they haven't actually been flooded—to obtain insurance through the Flood Re programme. That's a programme in which a number of insurers come together to spread the risk,...
Julie James: Thank you. Our funding objectives to reduce flood risk to communities are set out in our national flood strategy and the programme for government. This year, we announced a record level of investment of more than £214 million over the next three years to help protect at least 45,000 homes from flood risk.
