I believe there's something fundamentally wrong in a society where there are some people with no home, or are living in completely inadequate housing—overcrowded, damp, cold—and others who have two or more homes, at least one of which they use infrequently. I think that's morally wrong.

Can I say I support the Welsh Government's amendments, one of which welcomes the Welsh Government's long-standing commitment to the provision of good-quality, affordable housing, recognising its fundamental role as the bedrock of strong, sustainable communities? Can I go further? I think we need more council housing and more social housing, but especially council housing. I speak as one of those who grew up in a council house in the 1960s. It changed my life and it changed the life of my family. I think that council housing is a wonderful means of providing housing for people that is affordable and of a good quality. 

I also follow the concern of the Welsh Government about empty homes. According to data obtained by ITN News last year, there were 43,028 empty homes in Wales, with at least 18,000 empty for more than six months. That works out at about 450 per constituency. Those include all kinds of properties, with houses in sought-after areas being left empty for several years. Empty homes are a wasted resource at a time of substantial housing demand. They can also cause nuisance and environmental problems, where empty homes can be a focus for increased levels of crime, vandalism, anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, overgrown gardens, unsteady boundary fences or walls, and where you've got a shared wall, either in terraced or semi-detached houses, you can end up with damp coming through from it. They also represent a potential housing resource that is currently unused. Bringing empty homes back into use can help address several housing and social issues by increasing supply in areas where there are housing shortages and pressure. It's an opportunity to link suitable empty homes with housing needs.

It has to be pointed out that if all efforts to persuade owners and landlords to bring their properties back into use fail and such properties continue to be a nuisance or in poor condition, councils need to consider their enforcement powers. But councils also need more enforcement powers and the ability to actually take over those houses. They really do need to be able to say, 'This house has been left here for 18 months to two years; it's deteriorating. We will compulsory purchase it at its market value', and then they can repair it and put it up for sale to the private sector or to housing associations—I don't really care which. It's just about bringing one more house back into use.

The Welsh Government, to its credit, introduced Houses into Homes loans to renovate empty properties and make them fit to live in. The loans are interest-free, they can pay for work on houses, but not enough has been made of it; not enough people have taken it up, and we still have those empty properties. I could take you around my constituency, and you'll walk down a street of terraced houses and there'll be one or two. If you walk down a street of semi-detached houses in sought-after areas, there'll be some empty houses. You can walk down an area where there are large, detached houses, and one of them will be left empty. This cannot be allowed to continue and I think that the Government do need to start taking firmer action. Yes, it's okay to condemn it, but we need action as well.

I welcome part (c) of the Plaid Cymru motion with regard to modernising legislation that currently means that not a penny of council tax is paid on second homes. I do not blame those who take advantage of tax loopholes. It's up to us to close those loopholes. Council tax should be paid on every residential property. Small business tax relief should not be available on properties that have been used previously or built as residential properties. If it was built as a residential property, that's what it should be. I'm sure some people will say that it will affect holiday lets and tourism. If that is true, it tells me something: that the lets are not economically viable. If paying council tax of £1,000 is going to make those lets unviable, then there's something wrong with the lets. It'll also provide more property for local people. I think that we all know of areas where there are shortages of houses to buy or rent.

Finally, can I go back to a cân actol by a group from Eryri at the Urdd Eisteddfod, I think in Llandudno? It was about a village that wanted to protect the Welsh language and their community and were vociferously against selling homes to be second homes. It ended with the most vociferous couple selling to the highest bidder who wanted it as a second home. It made the point that it's local people who are selling these houses to be second homes. They are the ones who are not keeping these homes in their community. If only second homes were sold as second homes, we wouldn't be seeing this increase. And I think it is something on which we really need to say, 'Please, in your local community, if you care about your community, don't sell to people from Cardiff or London, but sell to people who are local'.