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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Legislative Statement on the Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Housing and Local Government) Order 2010
December 1, 2009 12:00 AM
By Peter Black in Plenary
By Peter Black in Plenary
Peter Black: I also welcome this proposed LCO, and it is important that we get the powers set out in it. I do not want to sound curmudgeonly, but I must say that if we had had it in this format two years ago, we could well be doing some of the work involved in this now, producing Measures. However, we are where we are, and it is important that we take it forward as quickly as possible.
One downside of having it so late is the time available for scrutiny, which the Deputy Minister has already referred to. I understand that the committee will have around three evidence-taking sessions to consider this. Given the scope of the proposed LCO, that may not be enough, but I hope that it will prove to be sufficient, because it is important that this goes on the statute book as soon as possible so that we can start bringing forward proposed Measures.
I particularly welcome the final part in relation to council tax and the ability to vary it. I am sure that the Deputy Minister will confirm that that will enable the Assembly Government to deliver what was discussed previously during the Welsh Liberal Democrat debate, namely reducing council tax for people who serve in the armed forces in Wales. I think that that is important.
I am also pleased that the Deputy Minister has taken on board an issue that I have raised as the Welsh Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson, namely the ability for councils to vary the council tax charged on empty properties. There are 26,000 private empty properties around Wales, many of which are a blight on our communities. It would be an important weapon in councils' armoury if they could say to people who had let those properties lie empty for many years that they should pay extra for that. That could also be used as a stick, as it were, to try to persuade them to bring properties back into use. I very much welcome the Deputy Minister's reference, in her statement, to the fact that she is considering that as the subject of a possible Measure arising from this legislative competence Order, when passed. It is extremely important that councils have additional tools with which to deal with those empty properties.
I very much welcome the ability of the Assembly Government to freeze the right to buy in areas of high housing demand. Alun Davies is absolutely right that the evidence received by the committee was overwhelmingly in favour of that power coming to the Assembly. That would be welcomed. We must also recognise the evidence given to the committee that that is not the most important power that we could have in relation to affordable housing, because many council properties have already been sold. However, it will help us to preserve the pool of properties in a particular area while more houses are being built.
In many ways, the other measures contained in this are more important for delivering affordable housing. The future upgrading of new council housing and the ability to create a single social tenure is particularly important because that is the one big objection that is made when housing stock transfer ballots are undertaken. That has been raised in Swansea and currently in Neath Port Talbot. We need to reassure people that, irrespective of who their social landlord is, they will still have the same rights as tenants. Therefore, I welcome this proposed LCO once more and wish it godspeed. I hope that the Deputy Minister can ensure that, irrespective of the Welsh Affairs Committee, there will be no delays at Whitehall at the very least.
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