6. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the building of new homes for rent by Welsh councils? OAQ(5)0128(CC)

Thank you for the question. Local authorities have committed to deliver 1,000 new council homes under our new housing pact with the Welsh Local Government Association and Community Housing Cymru.

Thank you for that response, Cabinet Secretary. In the period between 1945 and 1979—the social-democrat period of British history—a large number of council homes were built. When Britain was governed by those well-known left-wing politicians, Winston Churchill, Harold MacMillan and Stanley Baldwin, Britain built millions of council houses and flats. In the period since then virtually no houses have been built and the actual number has reduced due to the right to buy. Will the Minister join me in congratulating Swansea council on commencing to build council houses at Milford Way and Birchgrove in Swansea?

Twice in a day, Mike Hedges. Congratulations to Swansea. It’s great to see the local authority building new council properties. Indeed, in my own authority also in Flintshire, with Hannah Blythyn, we’ve got some successful council properties and people living in there already. We are now starting to see the benefit of the housing revenue account subsidy exit with new council homes being built. I’m pleased that Swansea and other authorities are using their vision to ensure that we can make a long-term investment for the social housing stock that’s needed for the future.

Plaid Cymru supports all efforts to increase the social housing stock too and, of course, Carmarthenshire has been a council that’s been in the vanguard in this area. One restriction that could impact on the ability to build more social housing is the decision of the Office for National Statistics to re-allocate housing associations as public bodies, thereby restricting the availability of funding for the future. So, can you give us an update on what the Government is doing in order to resolve this problem?

We are in discussions with the housing associations in terms of how we will manage this process. I am confident that we will be able to resolve the issue either through legislation or otherwise.

Twice for Suzy Davies as well, Cabinet Secretary. Swansea council’s local development plan has already been delayed, and the new date of March has passed and we’re still no nearer being absolutely sure about what this vision that you mentioned looks like, and the innovation that the council can bring to its plan to bring new rental properties into the housing stock. Now, I’ve raised the point a number of times—with you, as it happens—so now I feel entitled to ask: what progress has Welsh Government made in speaking to the houses in multiple occupation sector about converting excess capacity into new, longer term homes? And can I ask, therefore, what advice Welsh Government has given to councils about acquiring those centrally located properties themselves to bring them into the councils’ social housing stock to complement new build?

Well, I think this, from an earlier question, is about what housing solutions are fit for the future and what their needs are. I haven’t got an issue with using HMOs if they’re appropriate for new housing solutions. I did visit, with Julie James and Mike Hedges actually, in Swansea, looking at HMO provision. Suzy, you would have been more than welcome, but I wasn’t familiar with your diary engagements. The fact of the matter is, what we’ve got to do is be innovative and look at all options for Wales. I think the HMO sector—. Because there have been developments of more student accommodation in block form, HMOs now are moving out of that system; therefore, there is an opportunity for us to use them.