Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. Amendment 5 amends Schedule 1 to the Renting Homes (Fees etc) (Wales) Act 2019 and permits payment for a further copy of a written statement of an occupation contract. Broadly, the purpose of the 2019 Act is to prohibit landlords and letting agents requiring payments from contract holders or tenants under a standard occupation contract, unless those payments are permitted...
Julie James: Moved.
Julie James: Moved.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. I appreciate the intention behind these amendments is to clarify, through being more explicit, that the relevant notice is being withdrawn. We can see there is merit in making some adjustments to the provisions in the 2016 Act, but, unfortunately, we don't think these provisions work as they stand. Unfortunately, these weren't raised at Stage 2, where we would have welcomed...
Julie James: Moved.
Julie James: Moved, Llywydd.
Julie James: Moved.
Julie James: Moved, Llywydd.
Julie James: Moved.
Julie James: Moved.
Julie James: Moved, Llywydd.
Julie James: Moved.
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. Well, starting with that last point first, I think I made it clear in my submission that we were removing the references because of the complexity of the case in point. The complexity of that judgment requires further consideration. Therefore, we have removed all references to the 2014 Act as a result of that. In terms of the other points, I understand the point that Laura...
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. I move Government amendments 1, 23, 29 and 30, which clarify when a notice under section 173 can be served upon a contract holder by re-titling section 175 so that the heading matches the section itself. This will remove the potential for ambiguity regarding a situation where the occupation contract doesn’t permit the contract holder to start occupying the property...
Julie James: I move the amendments in my name. The purpose of amendments 10, 16, 17 and 19 is to remove redundant references to the Displaced Persons (Temporary Protection) Regulations 2005, which have now been revoked. Amendment 18 will remove the examples in section 33 of the 2016 Act of editorial changes that may be made to fundamental and supplementary terms set out in a written statement. On...
Julie James: Briefly, just to ask Members to support amendment 9, for the additional clarity it brings. I do ask Members to reject amendments 53 and 54 on the basis that I've already set out. We are in discussion with both groups of stakeholders and we would much rather use the regulation powers already available to us to tackle these concerns once the full extent of the issues has been properly explored.
Julie James: I move amendment 9 in my name. Amendment 9 further clarifies when a higher education institution is able to provide a two-month notice under either section 173 or, potentially, a landlord’s break clause. A higher education institution will only be allowed to provide two months’ notice to a contract holder who is provided with accommodation in order to be able to undertake a course of...
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. As Delyth has said, amendments 34 to 39 set out a range of longer alternative minimum notice periods that a landlord must give to end a periodic standard contract under section 173 of the 2016 Act. Amendments 40 to 45 do the same in relation to notices issued under a landlord's break clause in fixed-term standard contracts. The Bill, of course, is already increasing notice...
Julie James: Diolch, Llywydd. As Delyth has said, her amendments 32 and 33 combined would remove the landlord's ability to serve notice under section 173 in relation to the vast majority of occupation contracts, placing it instead with grounds for possession similar but not the same as the approach taken in Scotland. These new grounds set out in a new Schedule 8ZA are either mandatory or discretionary and...
Julie James: Thank you, Lynne. I also, as I said, echo your support and thanks to the public protection team in Torfaen and, indeed, across Wales, who have worked so hard to make sure that public health is protected in these very difficult times. Environmental health officers, trading standards, licensing teams are also leading on the response to the pandemic in local authorities. We're delighted to have...
