1. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Government's plans for social housing? OQ56811

Well, Llywydd, over this Senedd term, the Government plans to support the provision of 20,000 low-carbon homes for social rent. These will be homes that are fit for the future, built more quickly and to contemporary standards of space and quality.

Thank you for that response, First Minister. Well, I had a meeting recently with officials from the Government of South Tyrol in northern Italy, one of the richest regions in Europe, and a region where there are virtually no second homes and tourism prospers. But despite the prosperity of the area, 60 per cent of the homes there are social housing and respond to community need. Isn't this the kind of ambition that we should be showing here in Wales, and what steps are you going to take in order to change the culture in Wales and to ensure that housing developments and sales respond to community demand rather than being an economic investment for people who are already well off? Thank you.

Well, Llywydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor has raised a series of important questions that are evidently relevant to the part of Wales that he represents, and he's also drawn on evidence from abroad. There are a number of examples from abroad that are relevant to the position here in Wales—for example, there is what some of the political parties are arguing in Switzerland, and likewise in Canada currently in the same field.

I agree with what Mabon ap Gwynfor has said, and I can give an assurance that we will be increasing the number of houses available for rent and as social housing. And it's important that we all collaborate with local communities, because sometimes there are communities where there is a shortage of houses available and some people do not welcome plans to build more houses in that area. So, there's work for us all to do to try to persuade people of the importance of constructing more houses, more social housing, and to give local people more opportunity to purchase and to rent houses and to remain in their locale. And by collaborating with the local authorities, and also by having cross-party collaboration, I am confident that ideas will be forthcoming in Wales, practical ideas that will give more opportunities for local people. 

Janet Finch-Saunders. 

Diolch, Llywydd, and good afternoon, First Minister. You'll be aware, of course, that housing associations provide around 165,000 homes and related housing services for around 10 per cent of our population. According to Community Housing Cymru, in 2019-20, associations spent £1.3 billion directly into the Welsh economy, and for every one of the around 10,000 full-time staff, another 1.5 jobs were supported elsewhere. Also, in addition to achieving 99 per cent compliance with the Welsh housing quality standard, in comparison to 84 per cent by local authorities, housing associations in Wales are committed to bringing a further £1 billion in private investment during the next five years, matching every pound invested to build new social housing, and increasing its membership spend from 85p to 90p in every pound. 

There are so many good examples, proving that our 59 RSLs are now delivering for our communities. Yet, despite such huge successes, 11 local authorities have not yet transferred their stock. The last local authority to transfer 100 per cent of its stock was Neath Port Talbot, in 2011. Given the benefits that I've mentioned—and, believe me, there are considerably more—what steps are you taking to work with our local authorities to see the further transfer of social housing to a registered social landlord model, given the advantages this could bring? Diolch.

Llywydd, I agreed with a great deal of what the Member said, right up until her final conclusion. I agree with everything she said about the economic importance of housing associations, of the enormous amount of social good that they do, about the way in which they lever private investment—absolutely necessary private investment—into the development of new housing here in Wales. All of that I think is absolutely to be commended.

Stock transfer, however, is not a matter of a decision of the local authority. It is a matter of the decision of the local tenants—they have to vote on propositions. In Wales, some local authorities have put proposals to their tenants, who have decided to opt for stock transfer, and some have decided to remain with the local authority, because local authorities too do an enormous amount of economic good. Local authorities too have an enormous social impact, and local authorities increasingly in Wales are going to be the direct builders of new social housing for the future.

So, both options are there—they remain there in Wales. It is not a matter for the local authority to decide; it is where tenants feel that there is a more compelling proposition elsewhere, they are able to opt for it. When they choose to remain with the local authority, they will have made that decision too.

First Minister, over recent years, my constituency of Cynon Valley has benefited hugely from the Welsh Government's investment in social housing, with many old and disused buildings being faithfully converted into high-quality accommodation, as well as new builds. One issue that frequently arises, however, is the demand for adapted and adaptable properties. It's often challenging for the local authority to adequately predict demand for such properties and to feed the information through so that sufficient properties are available when needed. What more can Welsh Government do, First Minister, to ensure that all those who require adapted social housing are able to access this, and to access it in a timely manner?

Llywydd, I thank Vikki Howells for that question. She's right to point to a genuine area of challenge for local authorities, because these are not predictable needs. But when the needs occur, they are often very significant, and, from the point of view of the individual, urgent. I was very glad to see that, in the last financial year, with help through the social housing grant, Rhondda Cynon Taf local authority, in the Member's own constituency, was able to carry out specific adaptations to properties in Cwmbach and Penrhiwceiber exactly in order to make sure that properties are properly available for people with specific disabilities.

It's very important thereafter that local authorities maintain the register of those properties. When their current users no longer need to access them, they need to be made available to others who need similarly adapted accommodation. I know Vikki Howells will have seen, Llywydd, that, back on 12 August, the Welsh Government published our new standards for the future of social housing here in Wales. And part of the purpose of those new standards is to make sure that the size of rooms and buildings that will be provided in the social rented sector will make it easier for local authorities to carry out those adaptations in future, so that housing can be more readily and, indeed, more efficiently, from a financial point of view, translated into accommodation that people can use, in exactly the circumstances that the Member for Cynon Valley has referred to.