Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 01 September 2020
I hope that Alison Johnstone’s colleagues will tell her that I have signalled an open-mindedness to discuss all those matters. I will not go into the detail of our discussions, but there are some practical issues around some of what Alison Johnstone has raised, which we will try our best to work through. For example, there is a legal difficulty with retrospectively applying legislation to evictions in the pre-Covid period. When the notice period is added to the time that it takes tribunals to consider cases, we have ensured an effective ban on evictions during the Covid period throughout this winter.
I listened very carefully to Alison Johnstone’s colleagues about the tenant hardship fund, and we have recognised that there is a need to help people who have short-term financial difficulties due to Covid. Again, that was a specific request by her colleagues. I was asked to look at the Welsh Government’s scheme; we have done that, and we have come forward with today’s proposal.
I have also undertaken to consider how to make people who would benefit from the current legislative protections more aware of them, because people may not know right now that, if they challenge an eviction notice, they have that protection over the winter.
I cannot say that every single ask that has been made of me is deliverable, practically or financially, but I am absolutely determined—as, I think, we have demonstrated today—to listen to good ideas and, where we can, to respond to that positively, as we have done through the hardship fund. That is the spirit in which I hope we can have our discussions on housing, on homelessness and on every other aspect of the programme.