2. What progress has been made in delivering home adaptations for people with disabilities? OQ56399

Thank you, Nick. Even in the face of the pandemic we have continued to prioritise home adaptations where it was safe to do so. We are progressing with work to address recommended improvements to the process. Today I announced the removal of means testing for small and medium-sized adaptations.

Thank you, Minister. I don't think there's much I can add, really, to the previous questions by Rhun ap Iorwerth and Angela Burns, but I'm pleased that the debate that I brought forward to the Chamber last week has kicked the ball rolling, or raised the profile of this issue. As you know, last week I led that debate in the Senedd Chamber, and you answered very comprehensively. Something I didn't mention during the debate was a case study that I became aware of, a gentleman in the Vale of Glamorgan who, due to his MND impairment, hadn't been able to lock his front door since January. That work was delayed and the Motor Neurone Disease Association got involved and sorted it. Sadly, he's recently passed away, and I'm sure you'd agree with me that this illustrates in the case of this cruel condition, which sometimes can lead to death very swiftly, there's a really urgent need to make sure that these housing adaptations are provided as swiftly as possible. I hear what you're saying about some of the larger ones being more difficult to accomplish, but will you pledge that you will look at ways that certainly some of the smaller and medium-sized improvements and home adaptations can be rolled out as quickly as possible, so that people can get that end-of-life support that they really need?

Yes, absolutely, Nick Ramsay. I was really pleased to respond positively to your short debate, which was a really important debate for exactly the reasons that you've just set out. So, we've continued to issue COVID guidance to all providers of adaptations, advising that work can continue and that urgent cases should be prioritised for there to be no doubt at all that this work is continuing regardless of whatever the lockdown arrangements are in Wales. We've also got funding from the Welsh Government to local authorities, housing associations and care and repair agencies that has enabled them to do over 30,000 adaptations annually. As I just mentioned, today I've taken steps to ensure that the means test is no longer applied to small and medium-sized disabled facilities grants. This will benefit disabled people from across Wales, including, of course, the people you were championing in your short debate with motor neurone disease, and includes everyone, home owners, people in the private rented sector—tenure is no barrier to it. And we're increasing the Enable grant to local authorities by £400,000 to fund the change, and we'll be monitoring the impact on demand closely over the next few years as we roll it out. That is exactly for trying to accomplish the thing that you've most highlighted, and have just done so again, Nick, which is to make sure that people with life-limiting disease, such as motor neurone disease, can receive adaptations much more quickly, and at no cost, so that they can live out their lives as happily as is possible.