Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:40 pm on 29 April 2020.
I want to first of all put my thanks to all those people who've worked and led at local government to help people within their localities.
I want to move on, actually, to people who are tenants in the private rented sector. I do want to welcome the action that Welsh Government has taken to ensure that tenants at this point don't face financial hardship, and they're not evicted. But I think we need to recognise the value now especially of Rent Smart Wales, which has raised standards and embedded good practice in the private rented sector over the last four years, and it's vital, of course, that we don't now slip backwards and lose good landlords. So, I'd like you, if you can, to clarify the position of private landlords and their status as self-employed businesses and whether they qualify for Government financial support or any other support for those who need it, because it's fairly obvious that private landlords who have actually paid off their mortgage won't get a mortgage holiday, and they can't have any benefit from that, but nonetheless, they are reliant on the income from their tenants to survive. So, I'm concerned that if we see a crunch in the private rented sector, ultimately, that will be a crisis within those communities, specifically in rural areas, going forward.