Rhun ap Iorwerth: I've just said that.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: May I say first of all that I agree with David Melding when he said that we have come to the end? I don't think there is a better deal, that there is some silver bullet that can solve this problem politically in Westminster. That's why I believe, and have believed for some time, that the solution is to put this back in the hands of the people in a further referendum. There may have been...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: This is disgraceful.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I see the union jack.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you for the statement and the advance notice given of it. There is a great deal that I welcome in the statement. I agree with the comments about how important tourism can be for Wales, and that in our beauty, our culture, our food, our sports and our adventure there is means to attract visitors and tourists in a way that can bring us great economic profit. I can draw attention to things...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: And I did point out that it was an England model, but I do think it is relevant to Wales, because what we are seeing is, in reality, people looking for ways of showing that they let their properties for 70 days a year, trying to look for ways to show that they are available for 140 days a year. Frankly, most people would consider you should be able to have a property available 365 days a...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: The losses to local government are clearly very substantial. There is a survey that I wish to refer to relating to a survey of seven councils in Wales, which have seen losses, estimating that we are, on average, looking at band D properties—losses of £5 million in council tax in one year. On Anglesey, one of the areas where there is the highest number of second homes, it's £1 million....
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 'How to pay no council tax on your second home—saving thousands of pounds a year'.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: I used the word 'loophole'. There is another word:
Rhun ap Iorwerth: 'A trick that allows second-home owners to register their properties as "holiday homes" and pay less tax—even if the properties are not let out to tourists—has soared in popularity since a rule was changed two years ago. 'If a homeowner makes their second property available to let as a holiday home for at least 140 days a year, it can be classed as a small business.'
Rhun ap Iorwerth: —and so on, and so forth. It’s a trick and it’s being encouraged here in The Telegraph, and we know that this loophole is being used by the owners of second homes. What’s very worrying for me is that the evidence demonstrates that this is on the increase. If I could just mention the figures that we’re dealing with here, in Gwynedd, up to December of last year, there were—let me...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: We know what negative impact second homes can have on the housing market. It can push people out of the housing market as prices go up. We know that it can push young people out of their areas as they’re unable to purchase homes. And we know that it’s an increasing problem: one house in every 10 in Ynys Môn is either vacant or a second home, and as many as four in 10 in areas such as...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Will you take an intervention?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: You haven't; you had a few words to add.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Very, very quickly, do you think that there's a loophole that needs to be closed?
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Do you think that there is a loophole that needs to be closed? I'm trying to gauge from your speech whether you think there is or not.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Thank you.
Rhun ap Iorwerth: No matter on what side of the debate we might be on the principle of the quest of smaller nations, like ours, to set their own direction as free nations, we cannot just accept what we have seen happening in Spain. We cannot ignore these actions by a so-called modern European state, holding political prisoners—elected representatives; a Parliament's Presiding Officer in jail. These shameful...
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Whatever our views as individuals about independence for Wales, whatever our stance on the principle of smaller nations on these isles, or across Europe, insisting on their right to liberty, and to take responsibility for their own futures, the actions of the Spanish state this week, in imprisoning nine democrats for a total of 100 years for the crime of insisting on a voice for their people,...
