Decision details

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

• Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM4859 Peter Black (South Wales West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes that:

a) the number of private empty homes in Wales currently stands at around 26,000;

b) empty homes cause a social and environmental blight on local communities;

c) there is an increasing demand for social housing within Wales.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to develop an empty homes strategy which includes:

a) assistance for councils and housing associations to make use of empty homes as social housing;

b) allowing councils greater flexibility to impose punitive council tax rates on long term empty homes so as to encourage owners to bring them back into use and to compensate communities for the blight they impose locally;

c) making representations to the UK government to reduce the rate of VAT on building repairs and improvement work to existing buildings;

d) exploring the possibility of providing low cost loans to owners to encourage the re-development of empty homes as affordable housing for rent.

The motion without amendment was agreed.