Of course, we do also have Rent Smart Wales. I noticed Peredur Griffiths used a phrase about our sort of statutory framework, and I don't think we should dismiss that or underestimate that; I think that is an important and hard-fought gain that does give us an advantage. Any landlord of a privately rented property must register themselves and their properties, and Rent Smart Wales make sure that landlords are aware of their responsibilities, and tenants benefit from having a landlord or an agent who is aware of their legal responsibilities and act in accordance with them. That's not something that happens in England and it's something that happens in Wales because of the action the Senedd has taken on it. I don't think we should set that aside too lightly.

We are working with people who have experienced discrimination to develop proposals to address the inequalities that exist in the private rented sector, and tackling racism and promoting race equality have always been important priorities for this Government, and our programme for government commitment recognises the need for sustained action to eradicate racial discrimination and hate crime by ensuring that landlords respond quickly to complaints of racism and hate crime, and offer appropriate support. We're working with Rent Smart Wales, Tai Pawb and Victim Support Cymru to develop training for all landlords and managing agents to raise awareness of racism and hate crime, and there is a need for everyone to stand together to support victims and to ensure that instances are reported to the police or to Victim Support Cymru.

Poverty, of course, disproportionately impacts particular people and particular communities, and so we have provided extra funding to Citizens Advice Cymru to establish the private rented sector debt helpline, so that tenants can speak to independent trained advisers who can help them to maximise their income, support them to claim the benefits that they're entitled to and undertake an assessment of affordability to help with rent arrears or other household debt.

The implementation of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 will transform the landscape for tenants and considerably strengthen their rights. It will improve the quality of rented homes, crucially—that's what it is for—and providing tenants do not breach their contract, they will have a right to six months' notice if their landlord seeks to end the contract. And further, as that notice cannot be served in the first six months, they will have security of at least a year after moving into their home.

And finally, we have a commitment to publish a White Paper on fair rents, and new approaches to making homes affordable for those on local incomes in line with the co-operation agreement, and that will include proposals on rent control. So, to ensure everyone in Wales has access to a decent, affordable and safe home and help combat the cost-of-living crisis facing so many people in Wales, we've already put in place a raft of measures, as we discussed in the previous debate, including the commitment to 20,000 low-carbon homes for rent.

The contribution that houses in multiple occupation make is complex. The points that Peredur Griffiths makes are fair and valid ones, and this is a sector not without its challenges, for sure, but also they do provide a value, which I don't think we should look past, particularly for providing homes for many vulnerable people, including young people, and for those in receipt of housing-related benefits, they are only entitled to receive benefits for living in shared accommodation if under 35 and in the rented private sector. Also, HMOs do provide essential accommodation for students in our university towns and cities. But while they play an important part in meeting some of our housing needs, it's of course important, vital, that there are appropriate planning and licensing conditions in place.

As Peredur Griffiths rightly said, disproportionately high concentrations of HMOs can lead to problems for local communities. Historically, HMO issues have related to poor management and absent landlords, but measures introduced through the Housing Act 2004 and our own Housing Act (Wales) 2014 have helped to tackle these: the 2004 Act introduced mandatory and additional licensing of HMOs as well as dealing with the management and condition of HMOs. It does not control the number of HMOs in any given area, and only larger HMOs are subject to mandatory licensing, but local authorities have the discretion to extend HMO licensing by introducing additional licensing schemes. This additional licensing is often used in areas with a high concentration of student HMOs to license HMOs that are not already subject to mandatory licensing. And selective licensing focuses on areas of lower housing demand, and areas suffering from anti-social behaviour.

Finally, in Wales, we also brought in changes in 2016 that increased the number of new HMOs that may require planning permission, thereby giving further power to local planning authorities when considering the use of HMOs. At the time, we also made it easier for a small-scale HMO to revert to use as a family home without requiring planning permission.

Where there are problems with how HMOs are managed by landlords, Rent Smart Wales has introduced a further management and regulatory mechanism to address these issues. And under the 2004 Act, before designating an area for additional licensing, the local authority must engage with the local community. They must take reasonable steps to consult everyone who's likely to be affected by this change and consider any representations. Where that is not happening, I'd be grateful for the Member to bring it to our attention.

A disproportionately large number of HMOs can bring changes and challenges to a community, and we have sought to mitigate them. They do provide useful accommodation and we have ensured that there are tools in place to manage some of the problems that are thrown up by the complex conditions that we've all discussed.

So, I think it's fair to recognise that it is complex, that there are things in train and there is a value for HMOs as part of a mixed-tenure picture. But that is to acknowledge many of the points made as valid ones, and I would hope that we can work together to work through some of those problems and identify practical solutions. And I think the partnership agreement provides our two parties at the very least a formal mechanism for discussing a number of issues, and this is open to all Members, of course, to work through this together. I'd certainly welcome the chance to talk further with the Member to reflect on some of the important points he has raised this afternoon. Diolch.