6. Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: The Welsh Language Communities Housing Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:55 pm on 23 November 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 4:55, 23 November 2021

(Translated)

May I thank the Member for the questions in his contribution? In terms of the questions on affordability and housing use, the climate change Minister has had an opportunity to listen to your questions. She responded to some of them in her earlier statement, but the questions have been very useful, so thank you very much for them.

In terms of some of the more specific issues in my statement, in terms of the importance of tourism, I'm sure he'll welcome the work that we outline in the consultation document with regard to supporting short-term holiday let businesses to be able to reinvest to ensure that there's additional stock available to local communities on a social basis, to contribute to the tourism landscape and to provide economic opportunity locally to ensure that there is social use of that resource.

I agree entirely with him about what he said about employment opportunities in the local economy. That's one of the objectives at the heart of supporting social enterprises and co-operative companies, including in the areas of work that he mentioned in his contribution. There are several examples across Wales, such as Cwmni Bro Ffestiniog, Partneriaeth Ogwen and Galeri in Caernarfon, which are co-operatives that enable employment locally, but also use of the Welsh language in everything that they do, and that contributes to the local economy.

In terms of the final point that he raised with regard to land use, I'm aware that the climate change Minister is looking at that issue at the moment in terms of planning.