4. What assessment has the First Minister made of the relationship between housing and health? OAQ52079

Integrating housing and health is the platform to effective prevention and early intervention for people with social and health care needs. This is why both housing and social care are priorities in 'Prosperity for All'.

Can I thank you for that response? As you know, the 1945 to 1951 Labour Government had housing and health in the same ministry, led by Nye Bevan, somebody who we both hold in very high regard.

Poor housing has a serious effect on health. People, especially the old and young, become more susceptible to illness when living in cold and damp conditions. Poor conditions mean that people can't be discharged from hospital when, medically, they're able to be. But if you discharge them, you're going to have them back in again because the conditions they're living in are such that they're going to make them ill. What is being done to improve poor quality housing and thus reduce hospital admissions?

I absolutely agree, poor quality home can have a very significant impact on people's lives, particularly for those from the most disadvantaged communities.

Quality standards, including the Welsh housing quality standard for social housing, are critical to helping deliver the Government's wider well-being agenda. The Welsh housing quality standard will ensure that, by 2020, more than 220,000 households in Wales will have a home that is safe, warm and secure. Currently, as at 31 March 2017, 86 per cent of social homes in Wales meet the Welsh quality housing standard. The Welsh Government is investing a further £108 million of capital funding a year to social landlords to ensure that the Welsh housing quality standard is achieved in the time period.

I think this is a very important question; I thank Mike for raising for it. Forty five per cent of accidents occur in the home, and accidents are in the top-10 causes of death for all ages, particularly high amongst children—after cancer, I think the highest—and older people. Now, in the many interventions that we make, for instance, insulation of homes, social care visits, we should be making an assessment of the safety of homes because very, very many vulnerable people could be protected if we did that and thought about preventing accidents.

Yes. The Member raises an important issue, and as part of the Welsh quality housing standard, of course, making sure that homes meet a standard where accidents are very much minimised is important.

There are also a number of schemes for adaptations across Wales, and I'm delighted to say that in my own council, the speed of adaptation has increased out of all recognition from where it was 10 years ago. But the Member makes a very good point, and we are very keen to ensure that as we develop new homes in Wales, the best safety standards are incorporated in the design.

Shelter Cymru's guidance to private tenants about taking action if their home is unhealthy or in a dangerous state, and I quote:

'Firstly, you need to think carefully about whether to take action. In particular, consider whether your landlord is likely to try to evict you rather than do the work.'

Although the tenants can then ask the council to send an inspector, they are still under risk afterwards if the landlord decides to throw them out, or if they have a grudge because they have taken that action. In that regard, will you look to putting legislation forward in relation to protecting long-term renters and encourage longer term tenancies with clear and significant penalties for landlords if they take this type of action? Because, of course, we want to ensure that their houses are healthy, but if they are judged for taking action, then that is something we should all be concerned about.

Yes, the Member raises a very good point, and, obviously, we want people to be both safe and healthy in their homes, but also to have secure rental arrangements because we know that insecure rental arrangements, particularly for families, contribute to long-term mental and ill health. I know that the Minister for Housing and Regeneration has very much this in mind when we're looking at our new housing Act that's coming forward in this Assembly term.