Julie James: Diolch yn fawr. Thank you very much for that question, Delyth. It's something very close to all of our hearts, I think. One of the things we need to be able to do across Wales is not just generate mega amounts of electricity renewably, but also we need to have community buy-in and community energy projects that thrive across Wales. I will be approaching the UK Government around its scheme,...
Julie James: Thank you for that very important point actually, Darren Millar. Because this is about more than flood defence; these are often some of the most beautiful parts of our coastlines and river edges, and so on. So, I completely agree that it also has to enhance the local environment. You'll be very well aware that, under 'Planning Policy Wales', we talk constantly and consistently about the need...
Julie James: This financial year, we are investing £3.55 million in flood and coastal projects in Clwyd West. This includes schemes at different stages of development, from business case through to construction. An interactive map showing all our investment this year through the flood and coastal programme is published on our website.
Julie James: Since its launch in 2014 Help to Buy Wales has successfully helped nearly 12,000 individuals and families to buy their new home. I introduced changes for phase 3 after reviewing the performance of the scheme, including a reduced price cap, additional quality requirements, and broadband readiness.
Julie James: Well, thank you very much, Heledd, for those remarks. I certainly agree with the remarks in which you praised the action of the many staff in NRW who worked above and beyond the call of duty during the flooding. And I want to add my thanks to those staff, including the staff who work specifically on these particular issues. There were staff from across the public sector working very hard both...
Julie James: Thank you, Buffy, for those comments and remarks. I've certainly already welcomed Rhondda Cynon Taf's section 19 report in relation to the 2020 flooding in Pentre, and my sympathies go to all of the residents, including yourself, who suffered from the flooding in that extreme weather event last year. There are clearly some very concerning findings, and lessons clearly need to be learned...
Julie James: Thank you for that, Janet Finch-Saunders. I'm not sure which of your very many questions you wanted me to focus on, so I will just focus on the ones that I think are the most important. First of all, I've already had a meeting with NRW's leadership team, in which I've been extremely clear about my expectations for their future resource management, management in general, and their...
Julie James: I welcome feedback from the Welsh Local Government Association. We certainly need to ensure our bodies, including NRW, are best placed to achieve our significant environmental ambitions. We're starting with the review of the delivery of flood risk management functions, to which the Welsh Government committed in the national flood strategy.
Julie James: Thank you very much, Carolyn, and, yes, of course, we'll explore doing a pilot in your region—I'm very happy to do so. But you've just encapsulated the problem, haven't you? Because, for most ordinary people, the only big investment they make in their lives is the house that they live in, and therefore, when they sell it, they want to maximise the return that they get from it, and that's...
Julie James: Yes. Thank you, Mark. I understand the point that you're making about homes built as holiday homes. However, there is a real issue with houses that are vacant in communities across Wales that have a direct impact on the viability of other local services. And, as you've heard me say numerous times in this statement today, the issue here is about having sustainable communities across Wales,...
Julie James: Yes. Thank you very much, Buffy, and that just demonstrates nicely, doesn't it, that the issue is an issue right across Wales for a different set of reasons. So, we have issues with areas surrounding our big cities that become commuter towns, so to speak; we have issues with holidays; we have issues with students; we have a whole range of issues right across Wales. There's no silver bullet...
Julie James: So, taking those in reverse order then, Siân, absolutely, we will be coming back to the Senedd in the autumn term to feed back on the stuff that we’ve done over the summer—the consultation and so on—and to involve Senedd Members. We’ll also be carrying on meeting with the cross-party group behind the scenes all the way through the summer and into the autumn as well to make sure that...
Julie James: Thank you very much for that series of questions and for the support that you indicated at the beginning. In terms of the Welsh language communities housing scheme, that's in the portfolio of my friend and colleague Jeremy Miles, who's sitting opposite me today. He proposes to bring forward a draft scheme for consultation very shortly, so I won't steal his thunder in taking up time on that...
Julie James: Thank you very much, Mike. Your long commitment to pushing Governments to build more council and social housing is well known and recognised. And you're absolutely right: one of the biggest problems we've got in the housing crisis across Wales is the number of people in temporary or substandard accommodation, for which we absolutely do need to build, at scale and pace, the social housing that...
Julie James: Diolch, Mabon. I understand the passion that you bring to this and the frustration of people who aren't in Government about the reason that we have to pilot and consult on things, but the reason is because we must consult on changes to the rules; otherwise we will be judicially reviewed, and the process will slow right down. So, I share your frustration, but we must consult on it. We must...
Julie James: Thank you very much, Janet. On the media points, I take your point; I want to make very certain that Members of the Senedd have the information first, so we've taken some pains to make sure that Members of the Senedd have the copy of the letter going back to Dr Simon Brooks today and that spokespeople had the oral statement early on. I take the point entirely, so we will certainly work with...
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. There has been considerable coverage and debate over recent months about second homes and, beyond that, affordable housing for young people in Wales. We are keenly aware of the challenges being faced and have already made clear strides towards addressing these. However, we can and will do more. In undertaking this work, we have listened to and acted on calls from communities...
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. Sustainably managing our natural resources and enhancing our environmental assets for future generations is absolutely at the heart of the Welsh Government's long-term ambition. Given our strategic objectives and the requirements of the Environment Act (Wales) 2016 and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, we need to adopt a whole-ecosystem approach. We need...
Julie James: In particular, on the swift boxes, I am very pleased to say that we are incorporating them into our innovative housing programme. We have swift bricks going up across a number of social houses across Wales, and we are looking—and my colleague Lee Waters in particular is looking—at biodiversity along road routes and rail routes, including incorporating swift boxes and other nesting boxes...
Julie James: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you very much, everyone, for taking part in the debate. I'm really delighted to have a chance to put this issue in front of the Chamber quite so early in the new Senedd term. As people have pointed out, we will not be opposing the motion. In fact, I'm very much pleased to be supporting it. We are, of course, putting climate change and nature at the heart all the...
