U-turn over Welsh housing powers

The surprise move came a week after it had demanded the Welsh Assembly Government revise its sustainable homes legislative competence order. The order asks Westminster to hand over wide-ranging legal control of housing issues.

A week ago David Jones, parliamentary under secretary of state, told Welsh deputy minister for housing Jocelyn Davies to amend the order, before it could be debated in parliament. The government demanded the changes to prevent the assembly from abolishing the right to buy or suspending it for a period of more than 10 years. It also wanted written assurance about the assembly’s plans for Gypsy and Travellers sites.

But after a week of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the UK government said it would allow the order to proceed to debate in parliament.

The order had already been approved by the National Assembly for Wales in February this year. The intention now is to get it to July’s Privy Council (on the 15th) for Royal Assent, with the measures introduced in September. If the UK government had insisted on changes, the assembly would have had to begin the whole process again by launching consultation on a revised order.

Agreement was reached after the assembly made assurances that it would ‘support homeownership aspirations of tenants, and has no policy intentions which would contradict that position’.

Ms Davies said: ‘I hope that it will now complete its passage through parliament swiftly and successfully so that we can get on with developing much needed legislation.

‘The LCO will enable the National Assembly for Wales to consider measures to tackle issues such as improved regulation of social landlords, securing greater homelessness provision, bringing empty homes back into use, proving security of tenure, and supporting the most vulnerable.’

Keith Edwards, director of CIH Cymru, said: ‘We are delighted that it looks as if the LCO will be passed and new housing powers transferred to Cardiff.

‘Given the problems we face, the opportunity to develop Welsh solutions is essential.’

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