The Arbed Scheme in South Wales Central

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 9 July 2019.

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Photo of Neil McEvoy Neil McEvoy Independent 2:19, 9 July 2019

First Minister, there's an old joke about how many people it takes to change a light bulb, but the question should be: what does it cost your Welsh Labour Government to change a light bulb in Wales? The answer is up to £245 under Labour's Arbed scheme, because that is what contractors have been encouraged to charge for 'soft' lighting measures—in effect, changing light bulbs. And for water measures, which simply involves screwing an aerator into a tap, less than a couple of minutes' work, the price is up to £124. Are you also aware that your Government, in the fight against climate change, is paying Arbed to change boilers that can basically be brand-new, and they're installing less energy-efficient boilers? And that's the contractors themselves telling me that. This is because, once an area is identified for Arbed support, every house in the area is eligible to apply, with no due diligence, regardless of circumstances. So, I would say that your due diligence on Arbed is an embarrassment. People in Wales are struggling, facing costs across the board, and yet your Government is paying £240 to change one of these—up to £240, and £124 for an aerator. Do you acknowledge these figures? How can you justify them? And will you now launch an inquiry?