4. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the action being taken to monitor the progress made in cases of defective cavity wall insulation work in Wales? (OAQ51019)

Thank you. Further to my written statement of 13 June, I expect to make changes to competent person scheme requirements to help ensure insulation is not installed to unsuitable properties from 1 October 2017. For existing installations, officials will be meeting with the main guarantee provider, the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency, to discuss progress in resolving outstanding claims.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. It is clear to me that there does remain a significant number of people, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable, as you will know, who continue to face financial costs, due to the inappropriate or defective cavity wall schemes. Indeed, I’m grateful to a number of Assembly colleagues who have shared similar experiences from their constituencies with me. In recent weeks, I’ve met with more of my constituents who are facing just these problems. I welcome the update from your written statement in June, but can I ask: what is the latest position with the new pilot process under Arbed, which requires local authorities to procure independent, whole-house surveys of properties before potential schemes are evaluated and awarded funding? And do you agree that this problem requires our ongoing attention, so that we can prevent similar problems in the future, but also, and perhaps more importantly, to secure justice and recompense for those who have suffered so far?

It certainly has my ongoing attention. I think I receive at least one piece of correspondence a week on this issue. The Member will be aware that almost all cavity wall insulations are undertaken by installers under the building regulation competent person self-certification schemes. As I’ve said, I’ll be in a position, I hope, to make that announcement from 1 October. I know that there are similar schemes being brought in by the UK Government’s ECO scheme. In terms of Arbed, we’ve just issued outcome letters to local authorities following consideration of the independent property surveys that had already been submitted. That does then enable successful local authorities to proceed to costing and designing schemes. I think that will further strengthen the quality of those schemes and further minimise problems from occurring in the future. But you’re absolutely right—we want to prevent future problems, but we do know we have some problems that we still need to ensure get justice.

In 2015, the Building Research Establishment said that we did need more data on this in Wales. We need a national study to see the extent of the problem. I think the issue here is the current properties that have undergone this, and it’s been defective. Because it’s at the heart of much of our refurbishment strategy, energy reduction, Warm Homes—it is really, really important that we get to know the scale of this challenge and put it right as soon as possible, and obviously ensure that those that are responsible meet their obligations.

Yes, I absolutely agree with the Member, and you will have heard me say in my initial answer to Dawn Bowden that my officials are due to meet again with CIGA. Those meetings are ongoing. They’ve obviously previously met them, and I think CIGA do obviously recognise the problems that are facing many of the customers that they’ve been dealing with. They’ve already taken action in a number of areas, such as the establishment of a consumer champion, for instance. They’ve developed a property care pack for householders. But I do want to assure Members that this is something that we are working very quickly on to remedy.

Of course, the Cabinet Secretary will share our opposition to the concept that the Government in London, as their Secretary of State has said already, are going to take all of the powers for agricultural payments. But would the Cabinet Secretary, in order to ensure that we do have the widest support possible in Wales to protect devolution in terms of powers, over agricultural payments, make a pledge that if those powers were to come to us that there wouldn’t be less funding provided to agricultural subsidies?

I think the Member perhaps has mistaken the question for another. This question is on deficient insulation, rather than agricultural payments.

I apologise.

So, the Minister doesn’t need to answer that question on agricultural payments, unless she can make some very creative link with cavity wall insulation. [Laughter.]

Question 5, therefore—Gareth Bennett.