The second-home situation in some parts of Wales is critical and this is a debate that we’ve brought to the Senedd on so many occasions over the past few months and years, and the situation is getting worse. Too often, the Welsh Government’s response is to say that more research is required. Well, there has been plenty of research undertaken, so much so that it’s almost become tiresome. The clearest proof of the need for action is the evidence on the ground and the critical impact of a problem that’s been left too long untackled. The 5,000 and more people who have signed this petition know the reality of the situation and that is that people can’t afford homes in their own communities. Deputy Presiding Officer, I represent South Wales East in this Senedd, and this is a problem for residents in my area too. I don’t accept that this isn’t an all-Wales problem. The over-use and unregulated use of second homes is having an impact on communities across Wales. It's a symptom of a state that is fundamentally unequal, and Wales is tied to this problem.

We don't expect the Conservatives to agree, but any socialist Government should understand that a situation where 67,000 people are on housing waiting lists while others can afford a number of homes is not right. And this should encourage us all to do something as a matter of urgency. We shouldn't wait for more research. What’s shocking is that the Welsh Government, despite the warm words that we’ve heard, haven’t given any clear signal of the solutions that they would put in place. We have a number of recommendations and we agree with the petitioners that more powers must be provided to our local authorities in planning—that is a key issue—as Gwynedd Council and a number of other local authorities led by Plaid Cymru are currently doing.

But it's the work of Government to implement recommendations and to generate change, and a Plaid Cymru Government has a comprehensive plan that we published in September of last year, and it’s ready to go after the election in May. This includes changing the classification of planning use, making it a requirement to have planning consent before turning a home into a second home, doubling the council tax premium again, and closing the loopholes in the law that allow some not to pay any tax at all on some second homes, and bringing houses back within reach of local people. We will be just waiting for the Labour Party to do something, anything positive to resolve this issue, so you have to vote for a change in Government in May. We can't wait for Westminster to share wealth equally and create an equal nation. That's not going to happen.

We need a change in the way we consider housing, Deputy Presiding Officer. They are not places. They are not empty buildings. They are not an investment. A house is a shelter that should strengthen communities. It appears that there's only one party that would want to actually deliver people's aspirations of staying in their communities, and that party is Plaid Cymru.