2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:50 pm on 19 February 2019.

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Photo of Mike Hedges Mike Hedges Labour 2:50, 19 February 2019

I also call for the Llansamlet incinerator to be called in, as I believe Suzy Davies also did. There's no political argument over the fact that we're all opposed to this incinerator being built there.

I've got two questions apart from that. On the first one, I'd like to ask for a statement. As school budgets are being set, the increased cost of employers' contribution to teachers' pensions is causing concern. I am asking for a Welsh Government statement on the funding of the increased cost of teachers' pensions and what discussions with the Westminster Treasury are taking place regarding additional funding to meet this increase.

The other statement I'm asking for is on the Government's plan to support the building of council houses. We know that the only time since the second world war that sufficient housing was built to meet housing demand was when large-scale council house building was undertaken by Labour and Conservative Governments in the 1950s and 1960s. I'd like to return to that in terms of getting people into adequate houses, rather than sleeping on the streets or in inadequate accommodation. So, can I ask for a statement on how we're going to get more council houses, or council houses built at scale in the near future?