By Paul Dicken
3 February 2010
The Welsh Assembly Government’s bid for wide-ranging powers over social housing has been backed by MPs and AMs.
Such powers would enable legislation to be drawn up to suspend the right-to-buy council housing stock, as well as anti-homelessness measures.
The Welsh affairs select committee in Westminster this week suggested the powers should be devolved to the National Assembly. The committee said the legislative competence order, the means through which the Welsh Assembly Government requests additional powers, provided a ‘coherent approach to the social housing sector and consolidates existing powers already devolved to Welsh ministers’.
Committee chair Hywel Francis said: ‘Evidence to the committee suggested that there is a demand in Wales for comprehensive social housing legislation… which includes the regulation of social housing providers and reform of tenure law.’
An earlier bid for powers to suspend the right to buy failed after the Commons committee said the proposal was too narrow. MPs were concerned that it might mean the scheme was abolished altogether in Wales, rather than just suspended.
The recent order, known as the Sustainable Housing LCO, replaced that original bid. It includes provision to suspend the right to buy as a means of easing housing pressure but this is part of a wider package of potential measures.
The parallel legislative committee in the Assembly published its recommendations on February 2.
Chair Val Lloyd said the committee recognised ‘the importance of the proposed order in providing the Assembly with legislative competence relating to social housing and meeting the housing needs of vulnerable people’.
The LCO will now be put to the full Assembly and both Houses of Parliament for approval before coming into effect.
3 February 2010
The Welsh Assembly Government’s bid for wide-ranging powers over social housing has been backed by MPs and AMs.
Such powers would enable legislation to be drawn up to suspend the right-to-buy council housing stock, as well as anti-homelessness measures.
The Welsh affairs select committee in Westminster this week suggested the powers should be devolved to the National Assembly. The committee said the legislative competence order, the means through which the Welsh Assembly Government requests additional powers, provided a ‘coherent approach to the social housing sector and consolidates existing powers already devolved to Welsh ministers’.
Committee chair Hywel Francis said: ‘Evidence to the committee suggested that there is a demand in Wales for comprehensive social housing legislation… which includes the regulation of social housing providers and reform of tenure law.’
An earlier bid for powers to suspend the right to buy failed after the Commons committee said the proposal was too narrow. MPs were concerned that it might mean the scheme was abolished altogether in Wales, rather than just suspended.
The recent order, known as the Sustainable Housing LCO, replaced that original bid. It includes provision to suspend the right to buy as a means of easing housing pressure but this is part of a wider package of potential measures.
The parallel legislative committee in the Assembly published its recommendations on February 2.
Chair Val Lloyd said the committee recognised ‘the importance of the proposed order in providing the Assembly with legislative competence relating to social housing and meeting the housing needs of vulnerable people’.
The LCO will now be put to the full Assembly and both Houses of Parliament for approval before coming into effect.
