Morgan accused of not having clue on housing job

Eluned Morgan did not confirm details of the appointment of Lee Waters when she was asked in FMQs

First Minister Eluned Morgan has been accused of not having a clue about the role of a backbench politician drafted in to speed up planning applications to meet the Welsh government’s target to build 20,000 social homes.

Tory Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies made the claim during First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd after the appointment of Lee Waters was revealed by Delivery Minister Julie James on the weekend.

James told the Politics Wales programme on Sunday that Waters would conduct a “very deep dive” of every planning application.

Morgan was criticised after she told Members of the Senedd (MSs) that the government was “still in discussions” about the role.

Time is ticking for Labour to hit its manifesto pledge of building 20,000 affordable homes before the next Senedd election in 2026.

In her previous role as housing minister James admitted that ministers were hanging on to the target by “the skin of their teeth.”

Spending watchdog Audit Wales has also warned that the Welsh government needed £580m to £740m of extra funding to get close to meeting it.

James pledged on Sunday to “do what is necessary” to hit the target and insisted it could still be achieved, albeit in a “very short time”.

During the exchange in the Senedd, Davies asked Morgan to confirm the “exact role” that Waters would play.

In response, Morgan said: “The cabinet secretary who is responsible for housing will be making sure, and we are as a government, absolutely determined that we are going to deliver. That is why we are still in discussions about the role that Lee Waters will play.

“We will be finalising details of that role and we’ll be letting you know exactly what that is in the next few weeks.”

She added that a formal statement on work to support the delivery of affordable housing would follow.

'Stretching'

Davies replied: “I’m sorry, first minister, but the words of the delivery minister on Sunday were that a back bencher in the Labour Party was going to do a rapid, deep dive of each planning application that came in.

“You in your response to me clearly indicate that you haven’t a clue what he’s going to be doing and yet you’re trying to incentivise developers to come forward with applications to hit your manifesto target of 20,000 social housing here in Wales.

“That really is no way to run a government.”

The FM admitted in further questions that the target was “stretching” but that every effort would be made to hit it.

Morgan and the UK government's Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens also appear to have been saying different things on cross-border co-operation to bring down waiting lists.

The plans were announced at the Labour conference last month.

Stevens has emphasised the element of cross-border surgery, while Morgan has talked more about the sharing of best practice between the two health services.

There are question marks over whether England has any more spare capacity to take on extra Welsh patients.

In FMQs on Tuesday Morgan spoke of wanting to “maximise” capacity in Wales rather than patients going over the border.