§ 7. Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the role of the private rented housing sector in Wales.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesWe have received expressions of support for the Government's policy.
§ Mr. ThurnhamIs my hon. Friend aware that a recent survey showed that tenants much prefer private landlords to public landlords? Is it not time that we encouraged the private rented housing sector, which in Wales accounts only for one third of the average among countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development?
§ Mr. JonesI very much share the concern expressed in my hon. Friend's question, but I am happy to reassure him that the issue is being dealt with. In the past four years, we have spent about £19 million in Wales pursuing exactly that objective, which has succeeded in securing more than 1,200 additional new homes.