- Cymraeg
- English
 |
Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
 |
New Housing LCO is welcome u-turn by Welsh Government
June 14, 2009 12:00 AM
Commenting on today's announcement (attached) that the Welsh Government are to introduce a new wide ranging bid for powers over affordable housing, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, Peter Black said:
"This has been a hard lesson for the Deputy Minister and the Government to learn. Their lack of ambition with the original LCO has forced them into a humiliating u-turn in which they have had to start the process all over again. It is over a year and a half since the original legislation was introduced and still the Assembly does not have the power to deal with the right to buy that was promised in the One Wales Agreement.
"I welcome the fact that the Minister has now taken the advice offered to her by the Welsh Liberal Democrats at the start of this process and also the recommendation of the legislative scrutiny committee, that just seeking powers to suspend the right to buy was never enough. We said then that the widest possible powers were needed to preserve the stock of affordable housing, to modernise social housing and to enable councils and other bodies to deliver the maximum possible number of affordable homes.
"The Government now appears to have accepted that case. It is regrettable that it took a botched attempt to get ultra vires legislation through the House of Lords before they came to their senses. Perhaps if they are prepared to listen more on this legislation and work with the opposition then we will get the full powers that are necessary to help those people in Wales who are struggling to afford to keep a roof above their head."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats