Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:41 pm on 22 May 2019.
I'd just like to reassure David Melding that this is something that we are looking very closely at. Of course, Wales is the only part of the UK that has introduced rules to allow local authorities to charge those premiums on second homes. We're gathering data at the moment to explore to what extent local authorities have charged premiums or applied discounts, which they're also able to do in respect of second homes. Of course, those discretionary powers really were brought in to help local authorities bring underused properties back into use and tackle issues of housing supply. They weren't particularly a revenue-raising power, but, nonetheless, any revenue raised by local authorities is clearly welcome.