Meetings

CLA(4)-25-14 – Paper 4– Final Report

CLA(4)-24-14 – Paper 6 – Draft Report

7.1 The committee discussed the Stage 1 report.

7.1 The committee discussed the Stage 1 report.

6.1 The Committee discussed the Holiday Caravan Sites (Wales) Bill: Key Issues

Darren Millar AM

2.1 The Committee received evidence from Darren Millar AM, and his officials.  

4.1 The Committee discussed the evidence received from Darren Millar AM.

6.1. The Committee discussed the correspondence from Darren Millar AM, in relation to the Holiday Caravan Sites (Wales) Bill.

National Association of Caravan Owners

Steve Munro, Director

Dan Ellacott, Advice Team

3.1 The Committee received evidence from the National Association of Caravan Owners.

3.2 During the session the National Association of Caravan Owners agreed to provide the following information to the Committee:

• an analysis of written examples of the 1,200 complaints that were received in one year from caravan owners;
• a note on its views on the proposal to introduce repayment orders, which would enable a holiday caravan occupier to apply to a magistrates’ court to recover certain payments made by an occupier to an unlicensed site owner;
• a note on whether there is a need to introduce a fit and proper person test for managers of a holiday caravan site.

Carl Sargeant, Minister for Housing and Regeneration

Alyn Williams, Private Sector Housing Team

Helen Kellaway, Legal Services

2.1 The Committee received evidence from Carl Sargeant, Minister for Housing and Regeneration and his officials. 

7.1 The Committee discussed the evidence from items 2, 3 and 4.

British Holiday and Home Parks Association

Ros Pritchard OBE, Director General

Mr Huw Pendleton, National Chairman and Managing Director of Celtic Holiday Parks

National Caravan Council

Alicia Dunne, Deputy Director General

Judith Archibold, Legal and Corporate Services Director, Parkdean Holidays Limited (National Caravan Council member company)

4.1 The Committee received evidence from the British Holiday and Home Parks Association and the National Caravan Council.

4.2 During the session, the British Holiday and Home Parks Association agreed to provide a note on the business rates paid by caravan parks to local authorities in Wales, which was included in their study with Visit Wales in 2011.

(Indicative time 1.30 – 2.15pm)

Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Housing Regeneration

(Indicative time 2.15 – 3.00pm)

Darren Millar AM, Member in Charge of the Holiday Caravan Sites (Wales) Bill

CLA(4)-16-14 – Paper 3 - Letter from Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Housing and Regeneration, written evidence to Communities Equality and Local Government Committtee, 28 May 2014

CLA(4)-16-14– Research Service Briefing

CLA(4)-16-14– Legal Advice Note

The Committee took evidence from Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Housing and Regeneration.  

The Committee also took evidence from Darren Millar AM, Member in charge of the Holdiay Caravan Parks (Wales) Bill.

5.1 The Committee discussed the evidence received in session 2 on the Holiday Caravan Sites (Wales) Bill. 

Welsh Local Government Association

Simon Wilkinson, Regulatory Services Policy Officer

Conwy County Borough Council

Councillor Philip Evans

Nick Jones, Environmental and Housing Enforcement Manager

Gwynedd Council

Gareth Jones, Senior Manager of the Planning and Environment Service

Pembrokeshire County Council

Samantha Hancock, Senior Environmental Health Officer

2.1 The Committee received evidence from the Welsh Local Government Association, Conwy County Borough Council, Gwynedd Council and Pembrokshire County Council.

During the session, the Welsh Local Government Association agreed to provide evidence on complaints made to any of the 22 local authorities in Wales on the residential misuse of holiday caravans.

In addition, the Committee requested the evidence of residential misuse of holiday caravans that was collected by Conwy County Borough Council in 2007 for its survey of transient population, which was referred to during the session, and any evidence of misuse subsequent to this study.

Darren Millar AM, Member in Charge

Gareth Howells, Legal Adviser, Assembly Commission

Jonathan Baxter, Researcher, Assembly Commission

Holiday Caravan Sites (Wales) Bill

Explanatory Memorandum

2.1. The Committee received evidence from Darren Millar AM, Member in charge, and his officials.

2.2. Darren Millar AM agreed to provide a note in relation to opportunities for consumer protection that could arise from the Bill.

5.1. The Committee discussed the evidence received in the first evidence session on the Holiday Caravan Sites (Wales) Bill.

5.2. The Committee agreed to write to Darren Millar AM on the following:

• outstanding questions that it did not get an opportunity to ask within the time available;
• points that were raised during the meeting which it would like further clarification on.

Research Brief

1.1 Members considered the briefing paper on the Holiday Caravans Sites (Wales) Bill and agreed that they would not invite the Member in Charge (Darren Millar AM) to answer questions on the financial implications of the Bill unless concerns are raised by Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee during its scruity of the Bill.

6.1 The Committee considered the scope and approach to Stage 1 scrutiny  of the Bill.

The item started at 15.14

4.1 The  Committee considered the proposed timetable.