Julie James: Indeed, Delyth. You'll know, as we've been working on this for some time, that it's fiendishly complicated. I know that it's terribly tempting for people to think it's easy, and I am often told on social media—[Inaudible.]
Julie James: [Inaudible.]—others wouldn't necessarily give you the amount of money that you require to fix the entire building. Often there are complex ownership patterns in the building. There are complex freeholder versus leaseholder issues and so on. I've been meeting with a series of developers. I met with another one of the big developers only this morning to understand from them what they saw as...
Julie James: Thank you, Delyth. Again, I reiterate what I said to Laura and to Mark. It's been good to work with you. We've found a lot of things in common as well as things where we can disagree, and where we've disagreed we've been able to discuss that disagreement in a civilised way and with the evidence on both sides. So, I'm very grateful to you. It's been a real pleasure to work alongside you as...
Julie James: Thank you, Laura Jones. Again, the M4 relief road is primarily in the portfolio of my colleague Ken Skates, but again, we work across the Government on a number of issues. If there is a call for a local referendum, then we're certainly happy to work with Newport council to see how that might be accomplished. I'm all in favour of local people having a large say in what happens in their region...
Julie James: Obviously, children coming out of care are not in my portfolio, but I work very closely with Julie Morgan, with Vaughan Gething and with my colleague Kirsty Williams to make sure that we have a cross-Government plan for people coming out of care, looked-after children and so on. We work very closely with the Welsh Local Government Association to make sure that we have a joined-up approach....
Julie James: I'm very happy to reassure Laura Jones on the LDP position. We have, as she will know, just issued 'Future Wales', the national development framework, and the reissued 'Planning Policy Wales' to go alongside it. That means that, actually, all local authorities need to review their LDP in the light of those documents—those going through the process of setting their LDP, and those who have...
Julie James: Yes, absolutely, Nick Ramsay. I was really pleased to respond positively to your short debate, which was a really important debate for exactly the reasons that you've just set out. So, we've continued to issue COVID guidance to all providers of adaptations, advising that work can continue and that urgent cases should be prioritised for there to be no doubt at all that this work is continuing...
Julie James: Thank you, Nick. Even in the face of the pandemic we have continued to prioritise home adaptations where it was safe to do so. We are progressing with work to address recommended improvements to the process. Today I announced the removal of means testing for small and medium-sized adaptations.
Julie James: Absolutely, Huw Irranca-Davies, I would very much like to join with you in thanking everyone who, despite all the challenges you've outlined, have worked to ensure that those who need them continue to get the adaptations they need to live safely, avoid hospital admission and make a timely return home. You know as well as I do that the Princess of Wales, Royal Glamorgan and Prince Charles...
Julie James: Yes, thank you, Angela Burns. I wasn't aware of that particular instance, but I'm more than happy to have a look at the procedures, particular for houses that are listed; there's obviously an added complexity there. In terms of the bigger adaptations and planning in general, we do have a pathway for that, and care and repair agencies are very familiar with working with planning departments....
Julie James: Yes, thank you very much, Rhun. You're absolutely right, adaptations absolutely do facilitate stopping hospital admissions in the first place and they also facilitate hospital discharge and support the discharge to recover and access pathways, freeing up hospital beds and avoiding the need for step-down placements in residential care. They obviously just help people have a happier and...
Julie James: Okay. Apologies, my internet completely cut out as you called my name, so I didn't quite catch it.
Julie James: Absolutely, as long as I didn't miss anything else I'm more than happy to do that.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. Yes, indeed, then, the pandemic has served to highlight the vital role that home adaptations, large and small, play in helping people to maintain their dignity and independence and live safely in their own home. Despite the challenges, these services have continued throughout the pandemic.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. Forgive me, I missed the question there. I wonder if Rhun would mind repeating it. My internet cut out.
Julie James: We have made available over £660 million through the local government hardship fund to support local authorities in the pandemic in the current financial year. We announced a further £206 million as part of the final budget for the continuation of this fund in 2021-22.
Julie James: I speak regularly to my colleagues across the Cabinet. Land transaction tax raises revenue to support crucial public services in Wales. The most recent temporary threshold change provided support to homebuyers, additional support for social housing, and did not apply to those buying second homes or buy to let properties.
Julie James: I am delighted to say each of the 11 councils with retained housing stock have plans to build new council homes. Discussions show councils are starting to accelerate the rate of house building and plan to build around 1,800 homes during the next two years.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. I would like to thank Members for their interest and contributions today. Once again, what to say to Laura Jones? I don't know whether she just didn't understand it or is being disingenuous, as Alun says. But just to reiterate once more, the funding provided through the Welsh Government accounts for 35 per cent of the core revenue grant funding for policing in Wales. When...
Julie James: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Today, I am presenting to the Senedd, for its approval, details of the Welsh Government's contribution to the core revenue funding for the four police and crime commissioners, or PCCs, in Wales for 2021-22. Before I do so, Deputy Presiding Officer, I'd like to pay tribute to all of those who serve in our police forces. Over the past year, our police forces...
