Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to contribute to this debate as Chair of the Finance Committee. We had expected to hear evidence from the Minister back in March on this issue but, of course, we had to postpone that session as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we wrote to the Minister, seeking information about the financial implications of the Bill in case we were unable to reschedule an evidence session before the reporting deadline for Stage 1. But, as that deadline was extended, we were able to hear from the Minister and we are grateful to her for that.

The committee notes that the Bill will amend the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to provide greater security of tenure for contract holders who rent, particularly those in the private rented sector, by extending the period of notice the landlord must give from two to six months, when the contract holder is not at fault.

We note that reforms are also being made in the rest of the UK in this area. In the Queen's Speech in December of last year, the UK Government included a proposed Renters' Reform Bill, which will abolish the use of no-fault evictions. In Scotland, the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 created a new type of private rental tenancy in Scotland, which ended no-fault evictions and created 18 grounds under which a landlord can end a tenancy.

The overall net cost of the Bill, as reported in the regulatory impact assessment, falls within the range of £9.5 million and £13 million. We are broadly content with the evidence provided by the Minister, and therefore we have no issues to report on the financial implications of the Bill.