Housing (Wales) Act 2014

A Government Bill, introduced by Carl Sargeant, Minister for Housing and Regeneration. The Business Committee remitted the Bill to the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee.

About the Bill

The key purposes of the Bill were to:

Introduce a compulsory registration and licensing scheme for private rented sector landlords and letting and management agents;
Reform homelessness law, including placing a stronger duty on local authorities to prevent homelessness and allowing them to use suitable accommodation in the private sector;
Place a duty on local authorities to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers where a need has been identified.
Introduce standards for local authorities on rents, service charges and quality of accommodation;
Reform the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system;
Give local authorities the power to charge 50% more than the standard rate of council tax on homes that have been empty for a year or more; and
Assist the provision of housing by Co-operative Housing Associations.

Current Stage

The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 (external website) became law in Wales on 17 September 2014.

Record of Passage in the National Assembly for Wales

The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the National Assembly for Wales.

Stage	Documents
Bill introduced - 18 November 2013	Housing (Wales) Bill, as introduced (PDF 342KB) Explanatory Memorandum (PDF 1019KB) Presiding Officer’s Statement: 18 November 2013 (PDF 115KB) Business Committee’s Report on the timetable for consideration of the Bill: 18 November 2013 (PDF 40KB) Plenary statement: Introduction of the Housing (Wales) Bill: 19 November 2013 Research Service Bill Summary Legislative Glossary – Housing (Wales) Bill (Welsh language version only) (PDF 114kb) Table of Derivations (PDF 178KB)
Stage 1 – Committee considerations of general principles	Public Consultation (PDF 255KB): The Committee issued a call for evidence, which closed on 17 January 2014. Consultation responses The Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates: 12 December 2013 15 January 2014 23 January 2014 29 January 2014 6 February 2014 12 February 2014 (private) 5 March 2014 (private) 13 March 2014 (private) 19 March 2014 (private) Letter and further information from the Minister for Housing and Regeneration: 14 January 2014 (PDF 1MB) 28 January 2014 (PDF 68KB) 19 February 2014 (PDF 1MB) 1 April 2014 (PDF 138KB) Committee Stage 1 Report Feedback to homeless people and Gypsy and Traveller communities that took part in focus groups (PDF 184KB) Finance Committee Report (PDF 497KB) Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee Report (PDF 458KB)
Stage 1 – Debate in Plenary on general principles	A debate took place in Plenary on 1 April 2014. The motion to agree the general principles of the Bill was agreed.
Financial Resolution	A Financial Resolution in relation to the Housing (Wales) Bill was agreed in Plenary on 1 April 2014.
Stage 2 – Committee consideration of amendments	Stage 2 consideration took place in Committee on 15 May and 21 May 2014. Wednesday 21 May 2014 (morning) Marshalled List of Amendments: 21 May 2014 (PDF 282KB) Groupings of Amendments: 21 May 2014 (PDF 53KB) Thursday 15 May 2014 (all day) Marshalled List of Amendments: 15 May 2014 (PDF 541KB) (version 2) Groupings of Amendments: 15 May 2014 (PDF 53KB) (version 2) Notice of Amendments: 2 April 2014 (PDF 136KB) (version 3) Notice of Amendments: 25 April 2014 (PDF 82KB) (version 3) Notice of Amendments: 30 April 2014 (PDF 98KB) (version 3) Notice of Amendments: 1 May 2014 (PDF 66KB) Notice of Amendments: 2 May 2014 (PDF 50KB) Notice of Amendments: 6 May 2014 (PDF 270KB) (version 2) Notice of Amendments: 7 May 2014 (PDF 64KB) Notice of Amendments: 8 May 2014 (PDF 145KB) Marshalled List of Amendments: 2 May 2014 (PDF 203KB) Housing (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 2 (PDF 434KB) (Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the right margin.) Revised Explanatory Memorandum (PDF 1MB) Research Service Summary of Changes at Stage 2 (PDF 169KB)
Stage 3 – Plenary consideration of amendments	Stage 3 consideration and disposal of amendments took place in Plenary on 24 June and 1 July 2014. Notice of Amendments: 12 June 2014 (PDF 95KB) Notice of Amendments: 13 June 2014 (PDF 193KB) (version 3) Notice of Amendments: 17 June 2014 (PDF 152KB) (version 3) Notice of Amendments: 24 June 2014 (PDF 74KB) Stage 3 Government Amendments, 24 June 2014: purpose and effect (PDF 249KB) Stage 3 Government Amendments, 1 July 2014: purpose and effect (PDF 69KB) Marshalled List of Amendments: 24 June 2014 (PDF 309KB) (version 6) Marshalled List of Amendments: 1 July 2014 (PDF 161KB) (version 2) Groupings of Amendments: 24 June 2014 (PDF 53KB) (version 4) Groupings of Amendments: 1 July 2014 (PDF 46KB) (version 2) Housing (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3 (PDF 552KB) (Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the right margin.)
Stage 4 – Passing of the Bill in Plenary	The Bill was agreed by the Assembly in accordance with SO 12.36 on 8 July 2014. Bill, as passed (PDF 552KB)
Post-stage 4	The Solicitor General (PDF 89KB), on behalf of the Attorney General, Counsel General (PDF 139KB) and Secretary of State for Wales (PDF 69KB) wrote to the Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly to advise that they would not be referring the Housing (Wales) Bill to the Supreme Court under Sections 112 or 114 of the Government of Wales Act 2006.
Royal Assent	Royal Assent was given on 17 September 2014.

Contact information

Clerk: Sarah Beasley

Phone: 0300 200 6565

Postal address:

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay

Cardiff

CF99 1NA

Email: Contact@assembly.wales

Business type:

Reason considered: Government Business;

First published: 18/11/2013

Documents

Topics

Helpful Links

No results were found