Our Valleys housing is an important legacy, one which we as a Government will continue to protect and enhance. It has its own special character, one that comes from the distinctive pattern of settlement, as David Melding described in his speech, and the architectural design of the houses themselves. Valleys houses are an important part of our heritage and a testament to the rich social and cultural history of our Valleys communities. This isn't to say that Valleys housing has not been without its problems. As we've heard, the industrial revolution resulted in the Valleys experiencing significant population growth, and low-quality housing was often hurriedly erected and of poor quality. The Beveridge report, the founding document of the modern welfare state, recognised poor housing as being detrimental to health. Aneurin Bevan acted on the report's recommendations, making new house building and upgrading of existing stock a key priority in securing improvements in the health of the population.

This link between the quality of a home and a person's health is as important today as it was then, and this is why we're working across portfolios to integrate services and drive the efficient use of limited resources. We're using initiatives such as the integrated care fund to improve the links between health, housing and social care. When housing is properly considered and integrated with social care, it can have significant benefits to people and the NHS by preventing unnecessary admissions and supporting reductions in delayed transfers of care.

I recently saw for myself the positive impacts our partners can have in promoting health and well-being amongst their tenants in the Valleys when I visited Strive and Thrive in Rhondda. The project provides opportunities for Rhondda housing association tenants, as well as other local people, to participate in a wide range of activities, from walking football to canoeing. The people I met told me how this had increased their self-confidence and their self-esteem, and had provided them with a support network that they just didn't have before. Through the provision of these types of services, we can increase people's health, well-being and social aspirations, and these services also harness a sense of belonging within local communities.

As I've said, we recognise Valleys housing as an important part of our heritage, and this is why we continue to invest heavily in the existing housing stock. All social rented homes must meet the Welsh housing quality standard by December 2020. We provide £108 million of capital funding every year to local authorities and housing associations, to help fund these improvement works. The importance of this investment, which we've made over a long period, cannot be overstated, ensuring some of the poorest people in Wales have safe, warm and secure homes.

We know that parts of the Valleys have a number of challenges, and we're committed to addressing those challenges. By promoting economic regeneration with activities focused at the areas most in need, we can have a major impact. Our targeted regeneration investment programme, which is worth up to £100 million across Wales over three years, will be one important tool. I have seen for myself the difference our regeneration investment can make. Last year, I visited Lansbury Park in Caerphilly, where Welsh Government Vibrant and Viable Places funding funded energy efficiency work that were being undertaken on social and private homes. This investment means that the people living there will spend less heating their homes, easing pressure on what are sometimes very tight budgets. The investment also improved the visual look of the homes, giving people a chance to feel a greater sense of pride about the place where they live. 

As a Government, we are increasing the scale and rate of residential energy efficiency retrofit of homes. We are investing £104 million in the Warm Homes programme for the period of 2017-21. This will enable us to improve up to 25,000 homes for people on a low income or living in the most deprived areas of Wales, including the Valleys. Where properties do become empty, they can become a real blight on the local landscape. So, we are working with partners to get them back into use and providing a home. Our Houses into Homes revolving fund continues to support local authorities to provide loans to property owners to refurbish empty buildings as homes for sale or rent, and it's investing over £10 million in the Valleys.

Through the Valleys taskforce, we're working on another initiative with Rhondda Housing Association and RCT council. There are a number of properties in the northern villages of the county that are currently empty. There's no demand for general need social housing in this area. However, local people want to live in these villages and aspire to home ownership but often cannot afford a deposit or mortgage. So, we are working on a shared equity scheme to bring these properties back into use and enable local people to buy their own home within their community—very much something that Suzy Davies was describing in her contribution.

As we continue to protect and enhance the housing stock in our Valleys communities, it's important that we continue to build new housing where it is needed. New homes within existing settlements, or new larger developments, can lead to communities growing and thriving. I'm working with Cabinet colleagues to bring forward Welsh Government-owned land sites for housing development in the Valleys, as I recognise the role that our assets can play in delivering more homes and strengthening existing communities.

To support our ambitious 20,000 affordable homes target, we are investing in a range of tenures and a range of schemes to address the varied housing needs across Wales. Last year alone, we invested £52 million through the social housing grant programme across the Valleys, and I have seen for myself—