Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 22 May 2019.
I think part of the answer is in taking forward the recommendations of the affordable housing review and the work that I've just outlined to David Melding. There's work to do, I think, in terms of consumer expectations and consumer understanding of the benefits of modern methods of construction, and there's also work to do with the financial industry as well in terms of giving the certainty that they require in terms of being able to issue mortgages for these kinds of properties and so on, which will certainly stand the test of time.
You've given one great example of what's been achieved through the innovative housing programme. I was able to go and visit Wernick myself. I would advise or encourage any colleagues who have yet to see modern methods of construction in action to go along and see for themselves what's being achieved.
Just a couple more examples: we've got the extra-care facility in Aberaman that is being built using modular components being manufactured in Newtown, and that obviously saves time and cost over traditional on-site construction, and it allows construction year-round and so on. Also, we've got a number of schemes being built to the Tŷ Solar, homes as power stations and passive standards, and they all demonstrate very high energy efficiency in the building fabric. And also, there's smart integration of renewable energy and heat, reducing carbon emissions and reducing the energy bills of their occupiers. There are so many benefits to be realised from this exciting piece of work.