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Julie James has been appointed Minister for Housing, having previously served as Minister for Climate Change.
She was appointed by Wales’ new first minister, Vaughan Gething, to replace Mark Drakeford, who resigned.
Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, urged James to end his obsession with rent control.
He said: “We are delighted to see the reinstatement of a cabinet position with dedicated authority over housing, and the need for this role to play a dedicated role, given the scale of the challenges ahead for Wales. We have been advocating for this for many years.” We are also pleased that Julie James is continuing her role in housing to ensure continuity.
“However, Julie James must use this opportunity to listen to the concerns of the property industry and end the prospect of rent control in Wales.
“Ministers must also work across government to increase housing supply by reviewing land transaction tax on additional properties and supporting the decarbonising sector.
“Furthermore, key priorities must also include Propertymark’s long-term call for a Wales Housing Survey to gather better insights for future evidence-based policy making.”
Mr Douglas added: “Propertymark welcomes Julie James back to the role of Housing Minister and looks forward to holding an initial meeting to address future challenges across the housing sector in Wales.” “We are considering it,” he added.
“We look forward to building a positive relationship with the Minister and championing the role of estate agents to the Welsh Government.”
Wales’ new first minister, Vaughan Gething, is notable as Europe’s first black government minister.
“Today we turn the page in this nation’s history book, a history we will write together.
“Not only because I have the privilege of being the first black leader of a European country, but also because the gap between generations is changing.”