Meeting Venue:
Committee Room 5
Meeting date: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Meeting time: 10.48 - 14.29
This meeting can
be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/13004
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Category |
Names |
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Members of the Senedd: |
John Griffiths MS (Chair) Mabon ap Gwynfor MS Jayne Bryant MS Joel James MS Sam Rowlands MS Carolyn Thomas MS Altaf Hussain MS |
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Witnesses: |
Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice Emma Williams, Welsh Government Joanna Valentine, Welsh Government Jo Trott, Welsh Government Judith Cole, Welsh Government Ruth Meadows, Welsh Government Emma Smith, Head of Planning and Performance, Welsh Government Tim Evans, Welsh Government Leah Whitty, Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) |
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Committee Staff: |
Manon George (Clerk) Catherine Hunt (Second Clerk) Chloe Davies (Deputy Clerk) Claire Thomas (Researcher) Osian Bowyer (Researcher) Owen Holzinger (Researcher) Jennifer Cottle (Legal Adviser) Gareth Howells (Legal Adviser) Manon Huws (Legal Adviser) |
1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
1.1. The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Local Government and Housing Committee.
2 Housing Ukrainian refugees - evidence session with the Minister for Social Justice
2.1. The Committee took evidence from:
Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice
Ruth Meadows, Temporary Director of Ukraine Response, Welsh Government
Emma Williams, Director of Housing and Regeneration, Welsh Government
Joanna Valentine, Deputy Director Ukraine Accommodation Division, Welsh Government
Jo Trott, Deputy Director Ukraine Accommodation Division, Welsh Government
2.2. The Minister for Social Justice agreed to provide:
· Figures on the number of Ukrainian refugees who have moved on from their initial accommodation, when information from the data platform is available
· An update on the development and use of modular accommodation, including the cost per unit, and how they will be used in programmes to meet all housing needs.
· A note on the reduction in discretionary housing payments
· A copy of the letter from Welsh Ministers to the UK Government relating to local housing allowances
3 Papers to note
3.1 Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution in relation to modernising electoral administration
3.1.a The Committee noted the letter from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution in relation to modernising electoral administration.
3.2 Correspondence from the Welsh Cladiators in relation to building safety
3.2.a The Committee noted the correspondence from the Welsh Cladiators in relation to building safety and following a further discussion in private, agreed to write to the Minister for Climate Change on matters raised.
3.3 Letter from the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd to the Llywydd in relation to the UK Energy Prices Bill
3.3.a The Committee noted the letter from the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd to the Llywydd in relation to the UK Energy Prices Bill.
4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting
4.1. The Committee agreed the motion.
5 Consideration of the Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
5.1. The Committee considered the Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill and agreed to write to the Minister for Climate Change on matters raised.
6 Consideration of the Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) on the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill
6.1. The Committee considered the Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) on the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill and agreed to write to the Minister for Climate Change on matters raised.
7 Technical briefing from Welsh Government officials in relation to the local government funding formula
7.1. The Committee received a technical briefing from:
Judith Cole, Deputy Director Local Government Finance Policy & Sustainability, Welsh Government
Emma Smith, Head of Local Government Finance Policy, Welsh Government
Tim Evans, Head of Local Government Funding, Welsh Government
Leah Whitty, Finance Policy Officer (Revenues and Benefits), Welsh Local Government Association
8 Consideration of the evidence received
8.1. The Committee considered the evidence received and agreed to write to the Minister for Social Justice and draft a short report for its work on housing Ukrainian refugees.