5. 5. Statement: The Innovative Housing Programme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:09 pm on 24 October 2017.

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Photo of Vikki Howells Vikki Howells Labour 5:09, 24 October 2017

Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd, and thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement today. It’s really positive to hear about the response to your call for bids, and I look forward to the release of the full list of successful applicants. I know you can’t share too many details yet, but it’s really good to hear about the inclusion of small-scale foundational businesses in this programme, which fits in perfectly with the Better Jobs, Closer to Home pilot and the references to supporting the foundational economy in ‘Our Valleys, Our Future’ and ‘Prosperity for All’. So, my first question is: to what extent did you prioritise bids from smaller, home-grown companies who employ local people and therefore return their profits to the local economy? And, secondly, I’m sure you’ll have heard the comments today from Community Housing Cymru about the flawed UK Government local housing allowance cap. How has this influenced your policy, especially in regard to those parts of Wales that may have been hardest hit, or may be hardest hit by the Department for Work and Pensions’s policy changes?