I thank Plaid Cymru for tabling this debate today. It's an interesting topic, which has had some raised profile over the period of the lockdown, and I do applaud the sentiments of 'local homes for local people' behind it. I must declare an interest in that I inherited my late father's house when he died, and I rent it out to a local family, and I note from the register of Members' interests that many other Members in the Chamber do too. As a result of the requirements of Rent Smart Wales, I've had to register and I employ an agent to manage the property. If I wanted to make real money and was put off by the bureaucracy of being a private landlord in Wales, I may be attracted to the Airbnb route.

The recent announcement of the extension to the six-month notice period for tenants has been received with some consternation by private landlords, many of whom don't sit at home counting their money—they worry about how to keep up with the mortgage payments. So, the Welsh Government needs to proceed with caution because some may no longer wish to offer long-term rentals to local people, and I'm sure this would be an unintended consequence, and a bad one at that.

Looking at the motion that's tabled by Plaid, it does feel like all stick and no carrot: control planning, punitive council tax bills, increasing land transaction tax. On a practical level, I would suggest that if you can afford a second home, you can probably afford to pay more council tax and pay more land transaction tax—that wouldn't be a problem for most of those people. And while we may wish to promote local home occupation and discourage holiday homes, second homes are just one part of a very complex housing market. For that reason, I am attracted to the part of the Labour motion that suggests an audit of the number of second homes and holiday homes in Wales, so that we can see the full scale of the issue. Perception often does not mirror reality, and facts and not feelings are what are important here.

I accept and acknowledge that there is indeed a housing crisis, but, just like the climate crisis, Governments of any colour, anywhere don't appear to be managing the crisis in any effective way at all. I applaud the Welsh Labour Government's prediction of hitting their own target on affordable homes, but the fact of the matter is that 20,000 homes over five years is nowhere near enough when estimates suggest that we need a lot, as we've got 65,000 families here on our waiting lists. I understand councils are now free to build and that the public sector in Wales still holds vast swathes of land. So, what is the barrier to building or creating as many homes as Wales needs? I know that there have been periodic drivers to repurpose empty homes, but any walk, as Mike Hedges said, around any area will turn up various properties that lay empty and unused. So, more can certainly be done.

I'd be interested to hear what the Welsh Government intends to do to embed this sort of approach into housing policy now. We saw at the start of lockdown that where there is a political will, big things, like getting all the homeless into housing, can actually be done. So, where is the political will to create a housing programme for Wales that will ensure that the citizens of Wales have the homes that they need and that they deserve?

I welcome the prospect of looking at the definition of 'affordable', but I'd also be interested in what the definition of 'local' is. I came to Wales in 1986 from the midlands. I've contributed to my community, brought my kids up in rural Wales, and I love Wales. After being here for 34 years plus, would I be considered local if I were to do this now? There is much merit in a serious look at housing in Wales and there is much merit in this motion and many of the amendments. I hope that the Welsh Government, and indeed all parties thinking about manifesto promises, give housing the serious thought it needs and the people of Wales deserve. Thank you.