Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to open today's debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee's report on community assets. I would like to start by thanking all those who contributed to our inquiry, in particular those groups involved in the community assets we visited: Maindee Unlimited, Abergavenny Community Centre, Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr, Antur Nantlle, Ty'n Llan, and Partneriaeth Ogwen. It was very useful indeed for us to meet with these groups to hear directly of their first-hand experiences. Their evidence helped us to better understand the benefits of community ownership, but also some of the challenges and barriers faced by communities.

Community assets make a big contribution to the lives of the people living in those communities that they serve. There are many different types of assets across Wales and many ways in which these can make a difference to people’s lives and their well-being. They can be buildings, such as community centres, leisure centres, libraries and pubs, which act as hubs for their local areas and where people can access information, services, learn new skills, come together to socialise and to share experiences. They can be places, such as parks and green spaces, where people can relax or exercise and children can play; they can even provide homes for people.

In Wales, we can be proud of the great enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by communities across the country to maintaining local assets and ensuring their sustainability. We heard that people want to be involved in running community projects to make sure they can access amenities in their local areas, now and in the future. However, maintaining a community asset isn’t an easy task. As well as enthusiasm and commitment, plenty of time and money are also needed. We would like to make it easier for local groups to be able to get involved in running assets that are right for their communities. In our report, we made 16 recommendations, which we believe will help to maximise opportunities for greater community empowerment. Eight of those recommendations have been accepted in full and seven accepted in principle by the Welsh Government. One was rejected.

Our overarching recommendation was that the Welsh Government should establish a commission to stimulate innovative thinking on community ownership of land and assets in Wales. The evidence we heard demonstrated a need for further explanation of some issues, therefore, we recommended that such work could be undertaken by this commission. The Minister for Climate Change had already indicated that she was minded to establish such a commission, yet the recommendation is only accepted in principle. I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister to elaborate on the reasons for not accepting the recommendation in full. The Welsh Government’s written response suggested that the 12-month timescale we recommended for establishing that body may be problematic. I would, therefore, like to ask the Minister to provide more detail on the amount of time needed to establish a commission. Cwmpas have already called for a commission, and we know that other committed stakeholders are ready and willing to get involved in the necessary work. So, as a committee, we do think that work should be able to start quite quickly.

Dirprwy Lywydd, as I’ve mentioned, several of our other recommendations refer to work that we believe could be undertaken by a commission, including exploring with stakeholders the package of support that should be available to community groups who wish to run a community asset. It isn't an easy process, and groups will need different support, depending on their circumstances. And, of course, some communities may have ready access to people with the skills, knowledge and experience needed, whilst others will need to draw on external support. Whatever their circumstances, we want all communities to have the opportunity to take forward projects.

Although there are already various sources of advice and support available, we heard that these are not easily accessible, especially to newly established groups who will be less familiar with arrangements. The Welsh Government's response refers to some of the sources of information, but doesn't address the accessibility of it. We believe it's important to learn from the experiences of people directly involved in running community assets to ensure that the right advice and support are accessed, which is why we believe a commission of experts would be best placed to take this forward. When the Minister for Finance and Local Government gave evidence to us, she referred to the work being done by the Welsh Government on a new community policy, including whether a central hub for advice and information is needed. We believe the evidence presented to us has demonstrated a clear need for such a provision, and, therefore, I would ask the Minister to explain why our recommendation was not accepted in full.

We heard of the challenges often faced by groups acquiring privately owned assets. It takes time for newly formed groups to establish themselves and secure funding, and it can be difficult to compete against private individuals or businesses with access to finance. Several witnesses told us that communities in Wales have far fewer powers than those in Scotland and England. A community right to buy has been in place in Scotland since 2003, and English communities have a right to bid on assets through the Localism Act 2011. Time has moved on, and we're concerned that Welsh communities are being deprived of similar powers.

We also recommended that a commission should explore whether legislation is needed to empower communities and give them equal opportunity when competing against private investors to purchase assets of interest. So, we do believe that the establishment of a commission is key to taking forward several of our recommendations and those made by notable stakeholders, including Cwmpas and the Institute of Welsh Affairs. It is therefore crucial that work to establish a commission begins as a matter of urgency, so that Welsh communities do not miss out on opportunities to acquire and run assets that can enhance the well-being of their local populations.

We are disappointed that our recommendation to establish a community land fund for Wales has been rejected. Similar funds exist in Scotland and England, and several stakeholders called for a fund here in Wales.

As a committee, we are deeply concerned by the increasing evidence we hear around the difficulties people across Wales face in securing accommodation to rent or buy. We believe that community-led housing provides an opportunity for communities to provide their own housing solutions. While this will not be a viable option for everyone, we would like to see processes streamlined so that communities can access the land and funding they need to build appropriate homes. The Welsh Government's response refers to the social housing grant, which community-led groups can access if they partner with a registered social landlord. We are concerned that this approach has not maximised opportunities for community groups, and I ask the Welsh Government to reconsider its response to this recommendation.

Dirprwy Lywydd, access to affordable housing is a very important issue to us as a committee, and I'm sure to all of us in the Senedd and people across Wales. As a committee, we will be returning to this during the term of the sixth Senedd to see how our recommendations are being progressed. Diolch yn fawr.