Building Safety

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 2:07 pm on 8 February 2023.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 2:07, 8 February 2023

On the leaseholder support scheme, I said when we launched it in June last year that we'd continue to review it on a three-monthly basis, and we've continued to do that. We've reviewed and slackened the eligibility criteria each time in order to reach a wider range of people. Now, we've included the rising cost of energy in the hardship factors that are taken into account, and we've allowed displaced residents to be eligible. So, basically, if you're a pensioner couple and you've bought the flat as your pension income, then we're allowing you to take advantage of the scheme now, which wasn't the case when we started.

We've communicated it through the managing agents and through all of the various routes that we are aware of, including the leaseholder groups that we do engage with. Some of the leaseholder groups have refused to engage with us, unfortunately, but we still try to communicate with as wide a range of them as possible. And, Llywydd, anyone who has anybody in this situation in their constituency or region should definitely get in touch as soon as possible because we're anxious to help as many people as possible. But more importantly, we want to help all leaseholders.

I've taken the view that individual leaseholders should not have to sue individual developers for this, but that the Government should take responsibility for that, and that's the basis of the scheme we've taken forward. Unfortunately, where there is ongoing litigation, we cannot intervene in that. That's the problem. So, if there is ongoing litigation, my hands are completely tied. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is. We've already offered to pay for surveys that have been undertaken in the correct way retrospectively, and there are a number of other things that we can do. But where there is litigation ongoing, I'm afraid my hands are tied.