Group 1: Tenant participation (Amendments 1, 1A, 3, 4)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:41 pm on 24 April 2018.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 4:41, 24 April 2018

Plaid Cymru will be supporting this legislation, and we are minded to support all the amendments in this group at this current stage, but I'd like to take this opportunity to explain our approach to this legislation, as David Melding has also done. We've supported the principle of this legislation, in a pragmatic way, ever since it became clear that the ONS decision to reclassify social landlords as public sector organisations would have significant impacts on the ability of the sector to finance new housing. On that premise, I should say, we are supporting it. But equally, it has become clear that there could be unforeseen consequences from this legislation that should concern us all, particularly over tenant participation. We've been consistent on this throughout, and this has been reflected in our amendments alongside David Melding at Stage 2, and in our narrative on this particular Bill. There are several examples where tenant participation has not been up to standard, even within the existing laws, let alone with what might happen following this legislation—for example, the lack of consultation that happened when Wales and West Housing took over Tai Cantref. And we've seen something similar is happening with regard to the recategorisation of further education colleges, where, for example, Denbigh college is closing with no consultation and massive disruption to the students—something only possible because of recategorisation.