7. Debate: The Affordable Housing Supply Review

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:38 pm on 10 July 2018.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 5:38, 10 July 2018

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to what I think has been a really helpful debate that will certainly set the panel off in the right direction in terms of understanding the concerns that there are in this Chamber. I'm going to try and respond to as many points as I possibly can, and I'll begin with the issues of modular and modern methods of construction, because that was raised by most Members who spoke in the debate. Of course, our innovative housing programme has already supported 21 different projects across Wales that are very much in the spirit of the kind of project that Julie Morgan has just described. In fact, that Neath project is one of our innovative housing programme projects that has been approved under last year's funding.

The window for applications for the current round of funding finishes this week. So, we are hoping to have lots more innovative ideas coming forward. So, new ideas, but also ideas that build on the programmes that we've already seen working over the last year as well. So, there's lots more opportunity to improve what we're doing there.

We really need to get to a point where this innovation is available to roll out at scale, and where it's commercially viable to ensure that it's in more houses on the kind of scale that Julie described. Part of that does involve looking at building regulations, which my colleague Lesley Griffiths has responsibility for. But I can confirm that building regulations Part L will be under review, which will commence later on this year. It was successful previously in terms of achieving an 8 per cent and 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions against the 2010 standards for new housing and non-domestic buildings respectively. So, I think now is the time for us to consider how we can be even more ambitious in future.