Concise Minutes - Local Government and Housing Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 5, Tŷ Hywel

Meeting date: Thursday, 14 November 2024

Meeting time: 09.17 - 12.56
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/14173

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	John Griffiths MS (Chair) James Evans MS Lesley Griffiths MS Siân Gwenllian MS Lee Waters MS Altaf Hussain MS
Witnesses:	Anthony Hunt, Welsh Local Government Association Justine Cass, Welsh Local Government Association Clive Wolfendale, Welsh Local Government Association Dan Roberts, Cwmpas Adrian Crompton, Auditor General for Wales, Audit Wales, Auditor General for Wales, Audit Wales Deryck Evans, Wales Audit Office
Committee Staff:	Manon George (Clerk) Catherine Hunt (Second Clerk) Evan Jones (Deputy Clerk) Stephen Davies (Legal Adviser) Harry Moyle (Legal Adviser) Osian Bowyer (Researcher) Gwennan Hardy (Researcher) Jennie Bibbings (Researcher) Sian Thomas (Researcher) Amy Clifton (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1     The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Local Government and Housing Committee

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 1

2.1     The Committee received evidence from the Auditor General for Wales.

2.2     The Committee agreed to request further information from Audit Wales on its escalation process and the powers available to the Auditor General

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 2

3.1     The Committee received evidence from representatives of the Welsh Local Government Association.

3.2     The Committee agreed to write to the Welsh Local Government Association with the questions not reached on ‘Digital and IT’

· To understand how the Chief Digital Officer for Local Government is working with community and town councils, and what resource and capacity needs have been identified; and

· Whether there is sufficient support and resource for community councils to improve their digital and IT capacity, and whether it should be a priority for this tier of government.

3.3     The Committee also agreed to write to the Welsh Local Government Association on ‘data and diversity’ to establish;

· whether there is sufficient data collated on diversity within the community council sector, and how are local authorities working with community councils to improve availability and quality of such data?

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - evidence session 3

4.1     The Committee received evidence from Cwmpas.

4.2     Cwmpas agreed to write to the Committee to provide additional information on their research work on the relationship between Local Authorities and Town and Community Councils.

</AI4>

<AI5>

5 Papers to note

</AI5>

<AI6>

5.1 Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government in relation to social housing supply

5.1     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI6>

<AI7>

5.2 Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government in relation to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report on the Housebuilding Market in Great Britain

5.2     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI7>

<AI8>

5.3 Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government with additional information following the meeting of 18 September

5.3     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI8>

<AI9>

5.4 Letter from Aberystwyth Town Council in relation to the local authority funding formula

5.4     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI9>

<AI10>

5.5 Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip in relation to provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers

5.5     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI10>

<AI11>

5.6 Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government in relation to the White Paper on Adequate Housing, Fair Rents and Affordability

5.6     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI11>

<AI12>

5.7 Letter from the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government in relation to the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters' Rights Bill

5.7     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI12>

<AI13>

5.8 Letter from the Welsh Government in relation to terms of reference for support for affordable homes delivery

5.8     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI13>

<AI14>

5.9 Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government in relation to the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters' Rights Bill

5.9     The Committee noted the letter.

</AI14>

<AI15>

6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting

6.1     The Committee agreed the motion to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting.

</AI15>

<AI16>

7 Inquiry into the role, governance and accountability of the community and town council sector - consideration of evidence

7.1     The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI16>

<AI17>

8 Legislative Consent: Renters' Rights Bill - Draft report

8.1     The Committee considered the draft report.

</AI17>

<AI18>

9 Forward work programme

8.1     The Committee considered its forward work programme.

</AI18>

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