<p>Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children – in the Senedd at 2:30 pm on 20 September 2017.

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Photo of Carl Sargeant Carl Sargeant Labour 2:30, 20 September 2017

Of course, the Member is right to raise this issue. We’ve had great success with the Houses into Homes scheme, where the money recirculates back into the system and purchases more homes. I would encourage local authorities to use the management orders, where properties are empty and becoming a blight on their community, to enforce that. We also introduced a council tax scheme around second homes, where that can be used also as an additional levy to raise cash, to stimulate people to thinking about what are they going to do with that property. I will update the Members with the numbers—I don’t have them to hand, but I will ensure the Member is made aware of them—the current position we find ourselves in.