, Cabinet Secretary for
Housing and Local Government: In February, the
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its Report on the
Housebuilding Market in Great Britain. The headline finding
from the CMA was that the complex and unpredictable planning
system, together with the limitations of speculative private
development, has been responsible for the persistent under
delivery of new homes.
The study also confirmed substantial concerns about estate
management charges, with homeowners often facing high and unclear
charges for the management of facilities such as roads, drainage,
and green spaces, together with the poor quality of some new
housing evidenced by the increasing number of snagging reports
over the past ten years.
At the time of publication, the CMA also opened a new
investigation into the suspected sharing of commercially
sensitive information by housebuilders which could be influencing
the build-out of sites and the prices of new homes. I welcome
this investigation and look forward with interest to its
findings.
In terms of the recommendations and options for government to
consider as they apply to Wales, the Welsh Government has
responded to the CMA thematically, accepting the recommendations.
I have lodged the full Welsh Government response in the Senedd
Library for members' information.
Some recommendations within the report will depend on action to
be taken by the UK Government in collaboration with the devolved
governments and I have discussed how these recommendations can be
implemented with Ministers in the UK and Scottish Governments at
the British Irish Council on 19 and 20 September. It is important
that we work in collaboration with our partners to deliver a
better deal for homebuyers.
