Our communities have faced hardship after hardship in recent years, following over a decade of austerity from the Conservatives in Westminster, then we had Brexit, then the pandemic, and now this pervasive cost-of-living crisis. Yet, above all, we have seen that kindness in our communities has prevailed. Wales is rich not just in terms of resources or talent but in our communities. We have to foster this and ensure that we are doing all in our power so that our communities can flourish; so that services are not only provided, but become excellent services where local knowledge and skills are maximised for the community benefit.

This is why I not only welcome the recommendations of this committee report, but believe that we need to go further to empower our communities. I appreciate Welsh Government largely accepting the recommendations of the report, but I do regret the areas where the communities will be let down due to lack of commitment. For example, where Welsh Government have rejected the commitment to make a specific Welsh fund available for community housing projects. This is available for communities in England and Scotland, yet not ours here in Wales. Despite the Minister for Climate Change already stating that she is minded to agree to the establishment of a commission to stimulate innovative thinking on community ownership and assets in Wales, it is a shame, therefore, that this recommendation has only been accepted so far in principle due to current resourcing not supporting development within the recommended time frame. A common theme in this debate—and I'll reiterate the question—is: when can we expect the establishment of such a commission, if the Minister clearly acknowledges the value in it? Delaying this commission will only cause further delays in exploring a community right to buy, as recommended in the report. The lack of legislation in this area is already frustrating, compared to right-to-buy legislation in England and Scotland. Our communities are at a huge disadvantage, at the whim of individuals who can change their mind at any point, and having to compete with market forces, even in cases where there may be clear social value in prioritising community ownership.

Until we enact a community right to buy, we are leaving our communities in a situation where they may spend significant time, effort and money for it all to be potentially wasted. This is not fair on individuals, communities or local organisations, who commit themselves to the land, to buildings or facilities within their communities. Empowering our communities is not only about putting the Government-backing legislation in place, however, but also ensuring that the support and financing is available and accessible for communities to flourish. In this sense, the report clearly highlights that there are significant issues regarding community asset transfers. I agree that there is a need here to learn from best practice and encourage the creation of peer networks so that discrepancies between local authorities are minimised. For example, the Welsh Local Government Association discusses the approach of one council where the council's website includes guidance, online templates, detailed building descriptions and a single point of contact for information, all aimed at helping to ensure the smooth transfer of assets. Generally though, improved guidance is needed. To hear some local authorities have no public-facing policy on community asset transfers was seriously concerning, and, moving forward, we have to ensure that we have universal guidance across local authorities that also has some room for flexibility. It has to be proportionate to the scale of the transfer to give our communities a fair chance.

Finally, I'd like to end by noting how asset transfers and community ownership are so much more than what they could bring in financial value or in cost saving. They have a real ability to improve community life and well-being, and to bring social value while empowering and uniting our communities. Let's give our communities an opportunity by guaranteeing a right to regenerate themselves, a right to run themselves, and a right to buy those community assets that they have invested so much time and energy into over the years. Diolch yn fawr.