Jayne Bryant
Casnewydd Islwyn · Welsh Labour · Wales
“As we were talking about earlier, part of it is being registered, but also we need to encourage and make people feel that they are able to cast their vote in an informed manner. So, there is still a lot to do.”
“Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I welcome the opportunity to set out work under way to improve Wales’s democracy. This encompasses both work by the Welsh Government on electoral administration and reform, and also work of other organisations that we are supporting.”
“In terms of the automatic registration pilots and how will they work, we've got those areas—Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Newport and Powys—and those authorities are going to be using local data to identify and verify potential electors before adding them to the local government register after a waiting period.”
“The new board has the potential to drive this further, in combination with clearer rules in the conduct Order and the standards set by the Electoral Commission. Finally, the Electoral Commission’s report last week on the recent elections drew out the issues of harassment and abuse of candidates.”
“The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act places duties on Welsh Ministers to introduce schemes to support people with a range of protected characteristics and from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds to stand for election.”
“Moving to principal councils, the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 gave them the option to choose between first-past-the-post and single transferable vote systems for their elections. Three local authorities, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Powys, agreed to consult on whether to change to STV.”
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“Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I was asked a number of questions and I'm trying to answer as many as I can. Because I didn't answer Darren particularly on the RNIB one either, just to say we're doing a lot of work in this area around what works best. I mentioned in my statement that officials are working alongside the Electoral Commission and RNIB to trial the different solutions to build that knowledge, so we're working on that at the moment. This will help, obviously, returning officers understand what works best, and blind and partially sighted voters know what to expect, and, as I said, demand. I'll keep the Senedd informed on progress on that as well. Diolch, Deputy Llywydd.”
“So, there are people that will benefit from this, but it doesn't diminish the work that we all have to do to ensure that people want to vote and come out to vote, because that's really important.”
“Diolch, Rhys. Thank you for your questions. Absolutely, as I've said, there is still a lot of work to do following automatic voter registration. That's really a big step forward with those pilots, but I think it's really important that we've all got to work together to think about how we can ensure people do feel informed and feel able to vote. Because we've all felt that frustration, as you said, walking past lots of houses that aren't on the electoral register, but there's also the frustration of when you do knock a door and somebody says, 'Well, I really want to vote, but I didn't know I had to be registered to vote', and the registration time has passed.”
“We also have, for example, Shout Out, which holds dialogue sessions in high schools in Wales on media literacy and how to deal with misinformation. So, I think there are these projects and these funds available, and it's about making sure that we utilise that at every opportunity. I also know there are other projects, like the work that the Electoral Commission is doing. I think its important to work together to make sure that we encourage as many people as possible to use their vote.”
“As we were talking about earlier, part of it is being registered, but also we need to encourage and make people feel that they are able to cast their vote in an informed manner. So, there is still a lot to do. In 2021-22, we offered pilot funding to local authorities to focus on registering and encouraging the newly franchised 16 to 17-year-olds and qualifying foreign nationals. It's really positive that some authorities, such as Cardiff, saw the benefit of that work and maintained an engagement officer. I think that's a really positive step. And as I mentioned earlier as well, over the last three years we've funded the democratic engagement grants, supporting innovative projects across Wales, and there are a number of those. There's the Politics Project, which will continue to run their digital dialogue sessions in schools in Wales.”
“Diolch, Julie, for that question. I would just like to put on record my thanks for all the work that you've done on this, over many, many years. I think it's a really proud moment that it's coming to fruition and we do have that. I know that's something that young people still feel very passionately about. Actually, within a local event that myself and Peredur went to—a Chartism event—we talked about democracy, and I know that one of the aspects of future democracy is young people, and I think that it just shows how far we've come. It's a really positive step. I hope that the rest of the UK follows in the votes for 16 and 17-year-olds, but we know we need to engage them.”
“And, as I mentioned earlier as well, in terms of STV, we've written to those local authorities asking for their reflections, and when I receive that, it will be good to hear how they felt, in retrospect, about that, the process.”
“In terms of trying to encourage more people to vote, and you mentioned young people, there's been a number of schemes that we have in Wales that we've got in terms of ensuring that people are engaged in projects to take part, in these democratic engagement grants. So, there's been funding submitted to a number of different projects. The Welsh Government's knowledge and analytical services are evaluating these over the coming months. I mentioned one in my statement, but, for example, we've got the British Deaf Association, and a project's going to be run in person and digital workshops with their stakeholders on how democracy works, to empower deaf people. So, there are lots of these different projects that are happening within Wales.”
“Diolch, Peredur, for those questions and for the welcome for the statement today, which is appreciated. Absolutely, we will be watching the pilot very closely, as you can imagine, in the four areas that we've mentioned. The point you raised around English as a second language and different communities, I think that's why it's important that we've got within that Newport as a local authority that's taking part. So, I think that we will be watching very, very closely on that aspect as well. We've committed to not introducing voter ID in Wales for devolved elections, you'll be glad to note, and that has not changed. I think that we've seen some of the reflections from the Electoral Commission and others around the impact on voting in the general election.”
“So, there's a whole host of work to be done in this area, so this really feels like just the start. But I'm hopeful that we will get a lot of information from these pilots, and I know that other parts of the UK are looking at that as well.”
“In terms of the automatic registration pilots and how will they work, we've got those areas—Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Newport and Powys—and those authorities are going to be using local data to identify and verify potential electors before adding them to the local government register after a waiting period. The pilots are going to take place between December 2024 and September 2025, with a designated evaluation period by the Electoral Commission between September and December 2025. And, you know, it is a real challenge for all of us here, isn't it, in terms of automatic registration, there's a lot of work to do around that in terms of political parties to try to ensure that people feel motivated to vote, and it's about the work of other partners, such as the Electoral Commission, making sure people are informed.”
“Also, just to say in terms of the work of town and community councils, you were reflecting on your own time, and I know that there's a huge amount of work that goes into that, and I was able to see for myself and speak to people at a conference recently that they had. It's really incredible to see some of the work that goes in at town and community council level. There have been some really, really good examples, but I think now it's time to reflect on the report that we've just had and also then the Local Government and Housing Committee report.”
“In terms of the work that you mentioned around the task and finish group, perhaps it would be helpful if I wrote to you on that, just setting out the work that's gone on there. We've also got the Local Government and Housing Committee, as I mentioned, that I'm going before in a couple of weeks' time, who are doing some work in this area. And for that reason, really, it's trying to tie things together, because I think that would be sensible for this sector, and make sure that they have the opportunity to be heard during those committee sessions, and also that we recognise and reflect on what the Local Government and Housing Committee will say in their report.”
“Diolch. Thank you for those questions, Darren, and just to start where you finished off, really, you ended on a really strong message that we all in this Chamber would agree on, and I think we must all do everything that we can to ensure that that happens, because we must root out any fear that people have, and making sure that people who stand at elections feel safe, who work around elections, campaign in elections, is absolutely crucial. I notice you tried to draw me on STV, and I'm sure other colleagues will be maybe drawn or not drawn later in their contributions on that. But as you said, there's much that we do agree on here, and that's really, really important. And it's crucial that all levels of our democracy are represented.”
“The new board has the potential to drive this further, in combination with clearer rules in the conduct Order and the standards set by the Electoral Commission. Finally, the Electoral Commission’s report last week on the recent elections drew out the issues of harassment and abuse of candidates. Too many candidates experience unacceptable behaviour when standing for election. We are working on updating secondary legislation, so that safety-related costs will be exempted from spending limits for Welsh elections. This meets a recommendation from the Jo Cox report and aligns with the UK approach. Everyone should feel safe to stand for election, to campaign, to vote and to work in delivering elections. Welsh Government stands ready to work with election colleagues and the police in tackling bad behaviour.”
“This will help returning officers understand what works best and blind and partially sighted voters know what to expect, and what to demand, at the polling station. Turning to the delivery of elections, the legislation the Senedd passed replaces the voluntary Wales Electoral Coordination Board with a stronger, but equally inclusive and independent electoral management board. And I'd like to thank Colin Everett, former chief executive of Flintshire, Karen Jones, former chief executive of Neath Port Talbot and the Democracy and Boundary Commission Board, for their leadership in strengthening electoral administration. As an example, the voluntary arrangement has helped improve electoral delivery through Welsh.”
“But I do want to ensure that the choice before councils is viable, and so I wrote to the three authorities to ask for their reflections on the potential change, and I look forward to hearing from them. Moving to accessibility of elections, the Electoral Commission and the Royal National Institute of Blind People have published reports on the recent elections that were the responsibility of the UK Government. This highlighted that many blind and partially sighted people still feel unable to cast their votes independently and secretly. My officials are working alongside the Electoral Commission and the RNIB to trial different solutions, to build a knowledge base to support more accessible elections in the future.”
“Moving to principal councils, the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 gave them the option to choose between first-past-the-post and single transferable vote systems for their elections. Three local authorities, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Powys, agreed to consult on whether to change to STV. Following their consultations, each council recently opted to not implement the single transferable vote system. In addition to thanking the local authorities for engaging their communities on the electoral system, I want to thank the Electoral Reform Society Cymru for their work in building understanding about the different electoral systems. We believe it's right for councils to decide their own electoral system and I have no view, as Minister, on the decisions taken.”
“Alongside the work of the Welsh Government on electoral reform, my officials are also providing support to the work of others that share our interest in Wales’s democracy. Starting at our most local level of democracy, democratic health matters a great deal in relation to town and community councils. The report published last week by the democratic health task and finish group laid out several challenges and recommendations. I will shortly attend the Local Government and Housing Committee to give evidence as part of their inquiry on town and community councils. I look forward to that and to the outcome of the committee’s work, following which I will work with stakeholders to support any necessary reforms in this area.”
“Following a robust evaluation of the grant, I will consider the future of it's important work and will update Members soon. Finally, in addition to making necessary updates to the rules for elections to the reformed Senedd, we have modernised, consolidated and fully translated them. I will be publishing the draft of the Senedd Cymru (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order for consultation later this month—the rules and procedures for conducting elections to the Senedd. The draft Order updates and consolidates the rules and procedures as part of an accessible, bilingual framework for the first time, using modern and clear language. The rules for our elections are so fundamental to our democracy, and I look forward to receiving feedback on this legislation.”
“The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act places duties on Welsh Ministers to introduce schemes to support people with a range of protected characteristics and from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds to stand for election. This is important work that I will keep the Senedd updated about, as well as rolling out a fund to support disabled candidates following the successful access to elected office pilot. This complements the draft diversity and inclusion guidance for parties published by the Trefnydd last week. As well as encouraging under-represented candidates to stand, our democratic engagement grant is funding projects across Wales to build participation. This includes digital surgeries organised by the Politics Project, and workshops to empower deaf people and make their opinions known.”
“These automatic registration provisions can only be brought into force following piloting and evaluation by the Electoral Commission. The pilots are being designed, developed and delivered through a core working group, including Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Newport and Powys, the commission and the Association of Electoral Administrators. I am grateful to all stakeholders for helping ensure the pilots are as effective and insightful as possible, well understood by the electorate, and protective of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Welsh Government officials are also sharing learning with other administrations across the UK as the pilots' design and implementation progresses.”
“The legislation also increases the size of the Senedd to 96 Members, better equipped to scrutinise policies, laws, spending plans and to hold the Welsh Government to account. My focus now is to ensure the functioning of these Acts through supporting secondary legislation, in preparation for the safe delivery of the 2026 and 2027 elections, with a well-informed and engaged electorate. The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act introduces provision for voters to be added to the local government register without having to apply to do so—often referred to as automatic voter registration. Wales is the first part of the United Kingdom to take this step of removing the barrier that registration can present to some potential voters.”
“Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I welcome the opportunity to set out work under way to improve Wales’s democracy. This encompasses both work by the Welsh Government on electoral administration and reform, and also work of other organisations that we are supporting. To focus first on work where the Welsh Government has been delivering against our programme for government, this has been an important year of legislative reform. The Welsh Government has delivered on our programme for government commitments through the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024 and the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024, which were both passed by the Senedd in recent months. These Acts will assist in the modernisation of election administration in Wales and provide an opportunity to remove the barriers to people taking part in elections.”
“The tender process considered several factors, such as resident safety, quality and the standard of works, and not just cost. All developers will be required to obtain any required building control consents relating to the project, as well as to provide evidence to Welsh Government demonstrating that the works have been completed to the standard required. But also, perhaps I could just add that I am looking—. Because I know Members have raised specific issues with buildings, one of the things I've asked officials to look at is how I can keep Members informed in between questions, so we are looking at, perhaps, some informal briefings. So, I'll make sure Members are updated on that.”
“Diolch, Rhys, and thank you for raising this again on behalf of your constituents. Absolutely, accountability is at the heart of our proposals, and we want to ensure that there will be an identifiable person or persons responsible for assessing and managing building safety risks in these buildings, and the proposals will put in place statutory duties to assess and manage building safety risk on that accountable person. So, I can assure you that accountability really is there in our proposals. In terms of the work and the issues you raised with Celestia, I'm aware of the updated work schedule proposed on the conclusion of a competitive tender process. Officials are working with both parties to encourage them to work together to progress as quickly as possible.”
“It's not appropriate for me to discuss the specific buildings issues today. Officials are aware of the points that you raise, Mike, with Altamar, and they're working with all parties to progress that work as swiftly as possible, and I can assure you that I will raise that in my meeting tomorrow as well.”
“Diolch, Mike. Absolutely. We're carefully considering the findings and recommendations of Grenfell inquiry phase 2, as I've mentioned, and we will provide an update in the new year. Absolutely, Mike, I really welcome your warm words for the statement this afternoon. I thought you'd bring up Altamar, Mike. I know that you have done in terms of this, and spoken up for your constituents at every opportunity on this. And actually, Deputy Llywydd, I thought I was meeting the developers next week, but I can see here that I'm actually meeting them tomorrow, so it's brought it forward, so I'm actually going even quicker than I thought I would be. So, it will be tomorrow, and I'd like to say that this is the impact of the Senedd Members here who have encouraged me to bring forward that meeting, but it is tomorrow.”
“So, as I said, I've asked my officials to explore how we can help leaseholders to connect and share those experiences and learning on fire safety, so I can certainly keep Members updated on that progress as well, but it is something that I—. I listened very carefully when the Cladiators raised that.”
“I've been able to discuss this with colleagues in portfolios at the British-Irish Council, when I first came into post, so I'm keen to listen and to follow any good ideas and what Members in other countries are doing. But they've been keen to listen to us as well. In terms of the communication, again I'd like to highlight the newsletter that is available to all residents. That is quarterly, and I would encourage Members to read that as well, as well as to share that, because, again, it's a way of us communicating as clearly as possible. And, as I said, during my meeting that I had with the Cladiators, they raised the issue of a victims forum. Again, I'm very keen to think about how we can follow that up.”
“Diolch, Jane. Absolutely, the lessons from the Grenfell tragedy highlighted the need for clear accountability in relation to those who own and manage relevant buildings. As I said, I do keep very much at the heart, when I'm thinking around this, the people who are living in those properties. I think that we all can understand that, and the need and the keenness to see this done as quickly as possible. I'm sure all of us want that to be done as quickly as possible, and I can assure you I am as impatient as other Members are here. Again, we are doing some really good things here in Wales. Our progress is comparable to England, and progress, again, in Wales is significantly ahead of Scotland and Northern Ireland.”
“Again, the Welsh Government has always been clear that the developers should step up to their responsibility and put right fire safety issues. I am meeting developers next week, so that will give me an opportunity to stress that to them myself personally as well. So, again, I can assure Members that I will be doing that when I meet the developers.”
“There might not be people in hard hats or people doing the work, and I realise that's quite a visual thing, but there is work going on, and I can assure Members here that officials are really focused on this and monitoring it very closely. Our progress is comparable to England, and progress in Wales is significantly ahead of Scotland and Northern Ireland. The progress in Wales relates to both social and private tenures and both internal and external fire safety issues. So, it's not limited to buildings with unsafe cladding, as is the case elsewhere. Again, I just want to offer my assurance that everything possible is being done to deliver the remediation programme at pace, and progress is being made, with more buildings starting work.”
“Diolch, Janet, and for the work that you've been doing over a number of years in this area. As I said, I did meet with the Cladiators last week and it was a good opportunity to discuss their concerns on the fire safety of buildings in Wales. I've also met with the wider stakeholder group. That was the first meeting that I had when I came into post about a month ago now, or maybe nearly two months ago now. I was keen to hear from everybody within that situation, because it is something that we do—. Again, as I highlight and emphasise, none of us want to be in that situation, least of all the people who are thinking about this day in, day out, so I do really hear that. You raised some points around the speed, I think, of the work that's going on. Again, I reiterate, it isn't the fact that we are—.”
“The progress made by developers is monitored closely by officials and, again, should officials suspect a material breach has occurred, the Welsh Government will instigate the appropriate legal action. No breach, again, has occurred to date. Where there are issues impacting pace of delivery, officials are working with related parties to remove those barriers so works can begin as soon as possible. So, we are really keeping a very close eye on this, and, as I said in the statement, it might not be that people see those people in hard hats on the ground, but there is work going on behind the scenes to make sure that this is done at pace. I know you have mentioned the committee's visit to Celestia. I am aware of the updated work schedule proposed at the conclusion of a competitive tender process.”
“I met with the Cladiators representatives last week and I welcomed the opportunity to discuss with them their concerns regarding the fire safety of buildings in Wales. The meeting was productive and informative, and during that meeting I listened very carefully to the calls for a victims forum. I've asked my officials to explore how we may help leaseholders to connect and share experiences and learning on fire safety. So, I think, again, that is something that came from that meeting that I'm keen to look into. In terms of whether developers are behind schedule with remediation work, the programme, as I've said, is progressing well. There are currently 150 buildings covered by the developer contract, as I said, with over a third of these buildings either completed, are on site, or do not require works.”
“From December we will be including the performance of developers signed up to the contract, so I think that is also a big step and that people will actually be able to see how quickly or not the developers are doing that work. I think that's another step towards keeping the people impacted informed. In terms of the question you raised specifically around disabled people, again, our position has always been that no leaseholder should be paying for in-built fire safety remediation. We would expect those responsible for delivering the fire safety works to engage with the responsible person on the specific needs of a resident with a vulnerability or/and a disability. My officials are currently considering a leaseholder forum.”
“Diolch, John, and thank you for your questions and the work that I know the Local Government and Housing Committee has done on this, and the Members, which you are the Chair of. First of all, absolutely, I completely agree that it's so crucial that we can keep the people impacted informed. I think we all understand how difficult it must be if people are in that situation, and how worried and anxious they would be. So, we all very much understand that. Updates on the programme and the progress are available via the building safety newsletter, which is published on a quarterly basis, and I would encourage all Members to make sure that, if they have got residents contacting them, that they have access to that building safety newsletter.”
“The developer remediation programme is progressing well. There are currently 150 buildings covered by the developer contract, with over a third of these buildings either completed, are on site or do not require works. The progress made by developers in delivering on their obligations under the developer contract is monitored by officials and, as part of the monitoring process, should officials suspect a material breach has occurred, the Welsh Government will instigate the appropriate legal action. This will not fall to leaseholders. So far there has been no breach of the terms of contract between Welsh Government and developers. All developers are keeping us informed of the progress made, and we are keeping a very close eye on that, and I can assure all Members that that is the case.”
“The Welsh building safety fund does look at both internal and external fire safety issues, and is not just limited to buildings with unsafe cladding. I’m pleased to join you in welcoming the fact that Watkin Jones has recently signed, becoming the twelfth major developer to have signed our developer contract, solidifying their commitment to remediating fire safety issues for which they are responsible. I expect them now to move at pace, to understand the works required and to progress those remediation plans as quickly as possible, and I will be following that very keenly. You raised a more general point around developers. The Welsh Government have always been clear that developers should step up to their responsibilities and put right fire safety issues in buildings they have developed over the last 30 years.”
“Diolch yn fawr, Siân, and thank you for those questions. As I mentioned initially in my response and in my answers to Mark Isherwood, we are carefully considering those findings of the Grenfell phase 2 report and the tragedy that happened. We have already taken some considerable and robust action in addressing the recommendations of previous reports, and as I’ve said today, we’ve committed to delivering the building safety (Wales) Bill by the end of this Senedd term. We have also commenced the relevant parts of the Building Safety Act 2022, to bring about the reform to the design and construction of high-risk buildings and changes to the regulation of the building control profession. Furthermore, we also launched our Welsh building safety fund to address fire safety issues in all residential buildings 11m and over.”
“It's really good to see those coming through, and I look forward to more in the future, because it is really important that we have that skill set within our local authorities.”
“We do see local authorities as best placed to take the lead in regulating for wider building safety. Local authorities already hold a significant amount of experience in engaging with residents and in overseeing registration requirements for other regimes, so I think they are very much best placed to do that work. Again, there were other points you raised around the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee. The Welsh Government, as you know, has responded to and accepted all of those recommendations. Work is ongoing with the Welsh Local Government Association and other supporting bodies to progress those recommendations. I'm pleased to confirm that eight building control trainees have been recruited in Wales since earlier this year, with match funding from the Welsh Government and local authority building control.”
“However, if there is more work to do to identify every building in scope within that, we will do it. We're working closely with managing agents, as well as our recently formed joint inspection team, to target and identify further buildings, and I'd encourage responsible persons who have yet to submit expressions of interest to do so as soon as possible. Again, with a number of points, you talked about local authorities. Our landscape of buildings and the scope of our proposals are different to England. We've only got 171 buildings of 18m and above, with up to five new buildings of this height annually. Most of these buildings are concentrated in Swansea and Cardiff. Unlike England, our proposals extend to multi-occupied residential buildings of less than 18m, so we need to tailor the regulation function to meet the needs of Wales.”
“Diolch, Mark, and thank you for the series of questions within that. You started off with the issues around Grenfell, and we, as the Welsh Government, are committed to ensuring the highest standards of building safety for residents in Wales. We welcome the publication of that Grenfell inquiry phase 2 report, and we are carefully considering the findings and recommendations. We are working closely with officials at the UK Government, and further information on the Welsh Government's response to those recommendations will be announced in the new year. You moved on to some other issues around engagement and the audit report. The Welsh Government is confident in the approach we have taken to identify buildings, with responsible persons submitting expressions of interest to the Welsh building safety programme since September 2021.”
“Please be assured that even if you're not seeing people in hard hats doing works, we are working closely with managing agents and developers to ensure contractors are on site and works are completed as quickly as possible. Regular updates on our remediation programme are available in our building safety newsletter, and I would encourage anyone with an interest in the programme to sign up for these updates. Diolch.”
“Forty-three per cent of these buildings have either been completed, had works started, or do not require fire safety works. Remediation plans are in development on 37 per cent of the buildings, and we are working with the remaining 20 per cent of the buildings to identify remediation work. I'm also pleased to confirm Watkin Jones plc is the twelfth developer to sign our contract. I look forward to Watkin Jones working at pace to rectify in-built fire safety issues in buildings they have developed in Wales. Deputy Llywydd, I will be meeting developers this week and will impress upon them the urgency of remediating in-built fire safety issues.”
“A risk assessment tool has been developed to prioritise buildings for inspection. It is anticipated that approximately 30 buildings will be inspected by March 2026. An evaluation of the joint inspection team is planned, with procurement under way, to ensure lessons learned from the inspections are taken forward into the new regime. Deputy Llywydd, to date, we have identified 407 buildings in our building safety remediation programme, but we know there are more. The work of the joint inspection team will support the identification of new buildings, directing them to submit an expression of interest as a first step to obtain support from the programme. I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on our building safety remediation programme.”
“Deputy Llywydd, I want to ensure that the new regime empowers residents by placing their lived experience, safety and well-being at its heart. The regime will set out clear requirements to support residents with enhanced rights and a stronger voice in building safety matters affecting their homes. In support of this approach, we commissioned independent researchers to engage with residents living in multi-occupied residential buildings in both the social and private sectors. The findings reinforced the importance of placing residents at the heart of our proposals. I encourage you to read the report of this engagement work, which was published on the Welsh Government’s website on 5 November. I'm pleased to report the joint inspection team undertook their first inspection in September 2024, in Cardiff.”
“I'm grateful to those that have attended these sessions for the time they have given to support this work. This month, we will be delivering further workshops with local authorities to focus on resourcing implications of the new regulatory duties. We will be discussing strategies needed to ensure local authorities are ready to take on their new duties. We have commissioned an analysis of the cost and resourcing implications of the proposals, which will inform these ongoing discussions. Considerable engagement with wider stakeholders, including leaseholder representatives, managing agents and residents, has also been undertaken. Officials recently held webinar sessions, which I understand were very well attended. This engagement is crucial to ensure we have a regime that meets the needs of residents and is fit for the future.”