Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 21 September 2022.
Minister, the fact remains that delays to the implementation of the Welsh Government's building safety fund has meant that many residents and owners of flats across Wales have been put into precarious financial positions, been unable to sell or remortgage their properties because lenders outright refuse to lend money when EWS1 certificates are not available, and surveys have not been carried out. The situation has been made worse because no definitive timeline has been given and people have been left in limbo for years, not knowing if the situation will ever be resolved. Not only is this devastating for those who own and bought their properties in good faith, it has stagnated the property market to such an extent that many future flat owners may be put off from purchasing in Wales. The fact of the matter now is that it's destroying what was once a healthy property market. Minister, what assessment has this Government made of the impact of the delay in providing fire risk surveys and assessments, and of the impact that building safety passports has had on the property market in Wales? Thank you.