4. Statement by the Minister for Climate Change: Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:54 pm on 10 May 2022.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 3:54, 10 May 2022

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I welcome the statement. Recently, we discussed at the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee the skills that will be necessary. Mark Bodger from the Construction Industry Training Board Wales said that they would be more than prepared to step in to that space. And of course, we've got the upcoming Net Zero Wales skills plan, and I understand that'll be published sometime this autumn. One of the criteria in that plan is to prevent existing labour-market inequalities being carried through into the new net-zero and digital economies. So, I hope that you will agree with me, Minister, that there is a huge opportunity here, and also, I believe, an obligation, to use the new Welsh housing quality standard to encourage and to support more females and members from ethnic minorities to take up careers in construction. If we look at sites, we're talking about only 2 or 3 per cent being female, and only upwards of 14 per cent if we look at the technical side roles. So, it's a huge untapped market when there are currently shortages in that labour market. Will you, Minister, with your colleagues, look at how to use the Welsh housing quality standard to turn around those numbers into a positive?