Welsh seek power to legislate on social housing
The Welsh Assembly Government is to ask Westminster for powers which will allow it to legislate on housing for the first time.
It originally drafted a bid to have control over the right buy in the country two years ago, but this failed in June.
Parliament was concerned the powers would mean the Welsh government could abolish the right to buy. The assembly says it only wants to end the right to buy in areas where there is high demand for housing.
This legislative competence order – which the Welsh government must draft to ask for powers from the UK Government – is much broader than the last.
It would give the assembly powers to make law on:
- Regulation of social landlords
- Disposals by social landlords – including the right to buy
- Social housing tenancies
- Homelessness
- Housing allocations
- Housing-related support
- The provision of gypsy and traveller sites
- Empty homes and council tax for second homes
Deputy housing minister, Jocelyn Davies, who laid the LCO before the assembly, said: ‘Housing is an area which is largely devolved to Wales, but one where the National Assembly has no powers to legislate.
‘The Welsh Assembly Government should have a role in deciding what legislation is needed to address the housing needs of Wales. We want to be able to propose legislation for Wales in relation to two themes: social housing and meeting the housing needs of vulnerable people.’
John Puzey, director of Shelter Cymru, said: ‘The wide-ranging nature of the proposed LCO would give us those means, and allow us to work towards developing Welsh solutions to Welsh issues.’
The so-called Sustainable Homes LCO proposal has been agreed by the UK Cabinet and will now be considered by scrutiny committees at the Welsh Assembly and UK Parliament. This is expected to last until the end of January.
A final draft document will then be sent to the secretary of state for Wales – currently Peter Hain – to lay before Parliament where the House of Commons and Lords vote on it before it goes to the privy council for royal approval. The assembly hopes the powers will be handed over sometime next year.
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