Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm sure the Minister doesn't need me to reminder her of the fact that Wales is lagging behind the rest of the United Kingdom in delivering energy-efficient homes, and this is confirmed by the consultation for the Warm Homes programme. Wales has the lowest proportion of dwellings with an energy performance certificate rating of C or above, at 28 per cent. In comparison, England, 30 per cent; Scotland, 42 per cent; and Northern Ireland, 49 per cent. This survey noted that, across the nations in Great Britain, Wales also has the oldest stock of dwellings. This survey found that newer properties were more likely to have energy efficiency measures, as demonstrated by 33 per cent using low energy lighting, in comparison to 24 per cent of dwellings constructed pre 1919. So, will the Minister agree that the Welsh Government's failure to build new energy-efficient homes for the future is having a negative impact on our climate change commitments?

I note that over £394 million has been invested through the Warm Homes programme, as of December 2021. The Welsh Government did invest £20.1 million in the Nest scheme in 2021, with a further £15.7 million of Welsh Government and European investment in the Arbed scheme. Of course, these programmes are very important in improving energy efficiency, but, as the Minister's already alluded to, although the UK Government, for some reason, was referenced, some of the programmes that have gone on before have not necessarily done everything they should have done. Nonetheless, the fact that Wales is starting from behind, with the oldest housing stock in Britain, means that the costs of the project, Minister, that you intend to roll out for this to go forward, surely, are going to have to increase. If we really want to get this done in a fast and cost-efficient way, we have to involve local businesses, including small and family-run companies, to build the new homes that we and others so desperately need. So, will you confirm, that, in addition to retrofitting, Minister, we also need to empower these small and medium-sized businesses to deliver energy-efficient housing that meets the need of local communities?

We all know there's a clear disparity between the energy efficiency of homes in rural and urban areas. Rural areas are more likely to have dwellings with lower EPC ratings than urban areas, with the opposite occurring for urban areas. During the winter, when people are already facing higher bills, many Welsh households will also be impacted by our particularly acute energy-efficiency problems and the impact will fall more heavily on the vulnerable. I, along with Members like Jenny Rathbone, am enjoying the inquiry that we're currently undertaking into retrofitting the housing stock in Wales. I don't say this too lightly, but I am aware of the challenge ahead of us here in Wales with the housing stock, and also the fact that it's no use pumping new technology into homes if they're less than basic energy-efficiency levels. So, Minister, would you agree with me that, during a cost-of-living crisis, the failure to deliver more energy-efficient homes will have a crucial impact on household bills, and this could be falling disproportionately on the rural and the elderly?

On the topic of higher bills, I have to raise the issue of the Welsh Government's commitment to tackling fuel poverty. Forty-five per cent of households in Wales are now predicted to enter fuel poverty. Broken down, this will result in 98 per cent of lower income households in fuel poverty, with four in 10 of those in severe fuel poverty. The Welsh Government says they are committed to no more than 5 per cent of households being in fuel poverty by 2035. Energy efficiency does have an important part to play in achieving this. However, Minister, I think from some of the submissions we've received from witnesses, given the size and scale of the problems facing us, we really do need to tackle this. And I would say this wholeheartedly: we need to do this cross party, but we need to really get on with it. Thank you.