9. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve Welsh housing safety standards? OAQ54826

I detect a theme today. The Welsh Government is committed to taking forward a comprehensive package of legislative reforms to improve the safety of homes in Wales. We have already made improvements to the current building safety system by bringing forward amendments to building regulations that will ban combustible cladding from high-rise residential buildings.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. One area where we could take some more action, I think, is in respect of the quality of rented accommodation. We've obviously got the Welsh housing quality standard, which is a very, very welcome thing here in Wales, but one of the silent killers, an invisible killer, that's clearly taking lives in Wales and in other parts of the UK, is carbon monoxide. Unfortunately, too many homes do not have the relatively inexpensive carbon monoxide detectors in places where there are gas appliances that are present. What specific action is the Welsh Government taking to deal with this silent and invisible killer so that we can be assured that people, particularly those in rented accommodation, are protected from it?

The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which this Senedd passed back then, once implemented, will require landlords to ensure their dwelling is fit for human habitation. It requires Welsh Ministers to make regulations on determining whether a building is fit for human habitation, and that includes a requirement for working carbon monoxide alarms, smoke alarms and electrical safety testing in any house in the private rented sector. So, the Bill already has that. We're in the process of implementing that Bill. Once it's in place, that regime will be in place with it.

Thank you, Minister, for those responses.