Second Home Owners

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:39 pm on 22 May 2019.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 1:39, 22 May 2019

I've had exactly this conversation with local authority leaders in our finance sub-group this morning, where we were discussing this specific issue of concerns relating to individuals who decide to change the status of their property to move themselves out of council tax into non-domestic rates, where they could then potentially benefit from our rate relief schemes.

So, as you know, because we've had some discussions on this before and I know that you will be meeting with my officials with Llyr Gruffydd on 4 June to discuss the issue further, a working group of local authority practitioners has been set up to discuss the issue of council tax premiums and discounts and to consider the current position across Wales. There is a further meeting for early June, and I'd be more than happy again to meet with you after that meeting to discuss the findings of that. This is an issue that we are very alive to, and we're very keen to ensure that those who are able to pay council tax and who should be paying council tax certainly do so because, as I've outlined, it's extremely important in being able to support our local authorities to undertake all the work that we require them to do. But, we are absolutely alive to this issue and discussions have been had as recently as this morning.