Mark Isherwood
Speaking in the Chamber, Shadow Housing Minister Mark Isherwood told the Housing Minister that Homebuilders have warned that future pressures are likely to come from the shortage of skills and materials.
He said:
“The Minister may be aware that, in 1990, nine out of 10 of the largest construction firms in the UK were UK-owned but, by 2010, only one of those companies was UK-owned. Therefore, they are operating in a globalised world. How, therefore, are you seeking to reward companies and people for supplying housing of the type required where it is needed? Where it is supplied, it is the prime influence on the affordability of housing?”
The Housing Minister Carl Sargeant AM said he meets with the Home Builders Federation (HBF) on a regular basis and insisted there is “a lot of confidence in the market.”
Mr Isherwood added: “overall supply is the biggest influence on affordability. Whereas social housing for rent is within the affordable criteria, it is not the definition of affordable housing. I also meet with the HBF and the Managing Directors of major and small construction companies. They advise that, having fallen behind the rest of the UK in terms of houses built, Help to Buy is helping to stimulate the market now, but that future pressures are likely to come from the shortage of skills and materials. Working with your colleagues in other relevant Ministries in the Welsh Government, what consideration are you giving to that approaching problem?”
The Minister replied: “I share the concerns of the industry, but we are addressing them. I recently met with the Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology to discuss construction skills and how we can provide new opportunities in the form of short courses on the development of building skills, such as brick work, roofing and so on. Looking ahead to the future proposals that were brought forward by this Assembly and by Ann Jones on sprinklers, I have also asked the Deputy Minister for skills to look at colleges that currently provide opportunities for upskilling plumbers and training multi-skilled apprentices to be able to install sprinklers that are now part of the legislation introduced by this Assembly.”
Mr Isherwood added: “The roll-out of Help to Buy Cymru is thanks to the UK Government’s ring-fencing of capital investment for this scheme. After years of homebuyers in England and Scotland receiving help denied to those in Wales, Wales is once again playing catch-up from bottom position and a shortage of skills could threaten the recovery. House builders tell me that they need bricks and brickies, not sprinklers and increased regulatory costs from 2016.”
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