Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to begin by thanking Dawn for giving us the opportunity to express our concern at this practice that landlords, or, more commonly, those taking in lodgers, should be advertising accommodation rent-free in return for sexual favours. That is abhorrent to us all. I condemn this devious practice, which takes advantage of the poverty and social inequality of the people it preys on, and I absolutely agree that we should do all that we can to expose and deter the exploiters.

In preparation, Llywydd, for this debate, I asked my officials to explore all the potential avenues for action on this, and I must admit I was slightly surprised by some of their findings. For example, as Dawn Bowden alluded to, the Home Office officials’ advice is that advertising for buying and selling of sex in itself is not illegal in England or Wales, and, whilst many of the associated activities, such as exploitation, could well be a criminal offence, they claim to have very little evidence that actual exploitation is taking place in these specific cases. Of course, this may well reflect a level of underreporting, rather than the absence of exploitation. I pick up on Sian Gwenllian’s point on that issue around that the individuals who are entrapped into this scenario should never be afraid to report, and, while the issue may not be unlawful, exploitation is, and I would encourage all who find themselves in this space to use the Live Fear Free helpline that we have in place. Let me be clear, Llywydd: this Government is committed to tackling violence against women, sexual violence and exploitation in all forms in Wales, and we continue to work closely with the Home Office and criminal justice agencies in Wales to ensure effective co-operation.

This is a complex issue, and this goes far beyond how we regulate housing and exposes some worrying social trends. What strikes me here is that sex for rent is a symptom of a more fundamental problem: the increasing difficulties young people generally face in securing affordable, safe accommodation. And, whilst we may not have the powers to tackle unpleasant specific symptoms, we are already working to address the underlying difficulties faced by young people seeking to secure good-quality, secure accommodation. The answer lies in our approach to preventative measures in reducing homelessness, the provision of affordable housing, mitigating the economic pressures from zero-hours contracts and benefits changes, our anti-slavery policies, and initiatives around our support services for vulnerable people with multiple needs.

I listened to David Melding’s contribution, and I’m hoping that now he may have had a change of view in terms of our position on ending the right to buy. The Member has been very keen and clear in his contributions both in the Chamber here and in committee about his concerns about removing the right and the ending of right to buy, but what we do know about the right to buy is that many of the properties that have been sold under the right to buy end up in the private landlord sector, and this is where most of this activity takes place. So, I’m really concerned that the Member is saying we should gain more housing, and also that we should protect the opportunities for people to live safely—I hope the Member’s had a change of view; he may be able to declare that today.