The committee's report and the auditor general's report set out a number of issues and concerns: poor contract and programme management; issues in reaching rural communities and private renters; lack of clarity around the criteria and objectives; and the sheer pace and scale needed. We heard in the evidence to the committee that whilst the programme has helped many people across Wales, it really did lack the impact, the reach and the effectiveness needed to really move the dial for the right people, in the right way, on fuel poverty and decarbonisation. Almost half of those who received support through the programme last year were deemed to not be in fuel poverty, and that figure was more than 60 per cent in the previous year.

Just touching on those in rural communities that I, and I know others here, represent, they face particular challenges in dealing often with very old properties that are difficult to retrofit and to insulate, and those in rented accommodation have very little recourse to address these issues and, as we know, can, in some circumstances, face difficulties and are reprimanded in doing so. It would therefore be helpful to hear from the Minister what steps are being taken, or options explored, to ensure that rural communities and private renters are not left behind in the next phase of the programme.

In addition, then, to looking at what needs to happen next, I hope the Government will be committing to an investigation to address the apparent failure to properly manage public money. The issues around transferring funds from one element of the programme to the other raise questions. A quick analysis of the annual statements of the programme show that the number of households receiving support under the scheme declined from 5,500 to 4,500 in 2020-21, and at the 2016-17 rate, it would take a 111 years to insulate every household, and at the 2021 rate, 135 years. So, there are a huge number of questions here to look at in relation to the scale and level of investment, and also how the programme, going forward, can reach those rural communities and our private renters.

I do believe that it is important to focus now on learning those lessons and moving forward, but the fact remains that the statutory target to eradicate fuel poverty by 2018 was widely missed. Four-hundred million pounds has been spent on a project that has fallen short of its objectives, and we face, as I said at the beginning, an energy crisis that could have partly shielded people in Wales had the Warm Homes programme done its job. Diolch yn fawr iawn.