Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:35 pm on 10 February 2021.
Minister, I appreciate your comments on our amendments. Amendments 53 and 54 seek to provide an exemption to the Bill for members of the armed forces, as you explained, who have been given notice to leave service accommodation, as well as properties occupied by ministers of religion. Both amendments respond to concerns raised about the unintended consequences of the Bill. The National Residential Landlords Association Wales have highlighted that members of the armed forces who have been given notice to leave their service accommodation may face increased risk of homelessness or other housing difficulties due to the difference in notice periods provided for within this Bill compared to that used by the MOD.
I'm grateful to Cytûn for their support in helping us to draft amendment 54. They have also raised concerns about the impact of the Bill on faith communities. This includes potentially being able to rotate clergy on an annual basis between ministry roles and problems with a lengthy notice period before securing possession of a parsonage if a minister is removed due to a serious disciplinary issue. Minister, I appreciate that you've previously stated that you've been in discussions with stakeholders about both issues, as you outlined. Whilst I believe that our amendments will address the concerns that have been raised, I would appreciate if you could give me an update on the work that your officials have undertaken on this. When will you address these concerns, should you not be swayed by these amendments now?