Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018

A Welsh Government Bill, introduced by Carl Sargeant AM, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children. The First Minister authorised Rebecca Evans AM, Minister for Housing and Regeneration, as the new Member in Charge of the Bill, from 9 November 2017. The Business Committee has remitted the Bill to the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee.

About the Bill

According to the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the Bill, the purpose and intended effect of the Bill is to end all variations of the Right to Buy and the Right to Acquire.

The key purposes of the Bill are to:

abolish the right of eligible secure tenants to buy their home at a discount under Part 5 of the Housing Act 1985 (Right to Buy);
abolish the preserved right of eligible former secure tenants to buy their home at a discount under section 171A of the Housing Act 1985 (Preserved Right to Buy);
abolish the right of eligible assured or secure tenants of a registered social landlord or private registered provider to acquire their home at a discount under section 16 of the Housing Act 1996 (Right to Acquire);
encourage social landlords to build or acquire new homes for rent, the Right to Buy, Preserved Right to Buy and Right to Acquire will not be exercisable by tenants who move into new social housing stock more than two months after the Bill receives Royal Assent, subject to certain exceptions;
provide for at least one year after the Bill receives Royal Assent before the abolition of the Right to Buy, Preserved Right to Buy and Right to Acquire for existing social housing stock comes into force.

Further detail about the Bill can be found in its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.

Current Stage

The Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018 became law in Wales on 24 January 2018.

Record of Passage in the National Assembly for Wales

The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the National Assembly for Wales.

Stage

Documents

Bill introduced: 13 March 2017

Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill, as introduced (106 KB)

Explanatory Memorandum (1.12 MB)

Presiding Officer’s Statement: 13 March 2017 (PDF 12759 KB)

Business Committee’s report on the timetable for consideration of the Bill: 13 March 2017 (PDF 53.90 KB)

Plenary Statement: Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children: The Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill: 14 March 2017

Statement of policy intent

Stage 1: Committee considerations of general principles

The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee considered and agreed its approach to Stage 1 scrutiny on 9 March 2017.

Consultation Responses

Committee dates

The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
15 March 2017	Consideration of Approach to Stage 1 Scrutiny (Private)	(Private)	(Private)
29 March 2017	Oral evidence sessions	Transcript	View meeting
3 May 2017	Oral evidence sessions	Transcript	View meeting
11 May 2017	Oral evidence sessions	Transcript	View meeting
25 May 2017	Oral evidence sessions	Transcript	View meeting
15 June 2017	Private discussion of report	Private meeting	Private meeting
21 June 2017	Private discussion of report contents	Private meeting	Private meeting

Committee Stage 1 Report

The Committee laid its report on 7 July 2017 (PDF 4.81MB)

Correspondence

Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill (12 April 2017)

Correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill – (30 April 2017)

Letter from Wrexham County Borough Council in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill (10 May 2017

Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill – (12 May 2017)

Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill

(22 May 2017)

Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill

(26 May 2017)

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill - 9 June 2017

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill - 13 June 2017

Notes of group discussions with tenants in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill (21

June 2017)

The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of Meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
3 April 2017	Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children	Transcript	View meeting

The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee laid its report on the Bill on 7 July 2017 [PDF, 898KB]

Response by the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee’s Stage 1 Report – 12 September 2017

Correspondence

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee (12 September 2017)

The Finance Committee considered the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of Meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
29 March 2017	Financial implications of the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill	(Private)	(Private)
3 May 2017	Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children	Transcript	View meeting

Correspondence

Letter from the Chair of the Finance Committee to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children – 3 May 2017 (PDF, 158KB)

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to the Chair of the Finance Committee – 17 May 2017 (PDF, 256KB)

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children - 12 September 2017 (PDF 235.30 KB)

Report

The Finance Committee laid its report on 28 June 2017 (PDF, 776KB).

Stage 1: Debate in Plenary on general principles

A debate took place in Plenary on 18 July 2017. The motion to agree the general principles of the Bill was agreed.

Financial Resolution

A Financial Resolution in relation to the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill was agreed in Plenary on 18 July 2017.

Stage 2: Committee consideration of amendments

Stage 2 consideration took place in Committee on 5 October 2017.

Concise Minutes: 5 October 2017

Notice of Amendments – 15 September 2017 (PDF 69KB)

Welsh Government: Purpose and Effect Table – 15 September 2017 (PDF 151KB)

Notice of Amendments – 22 September 2017 (PDF 90KB)

Notice of Amendments – 27 September 2017 (PDF 62KB)

Marshalled List – 5 October 2017 (PDF 110KB)

Groupings of Amendments – 5 October 2017 (PDF 69KB)

Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 2 (PDF 115KB) (Amendments to the Bill since the previous version are indicated by sidelining in the right margin.)

Revised Explanatory Memorandum (PDF 1.1 MB)

Research Service Bill Summary of changes made at Stage 2 (PDF 5.2MB)

Correspondence

Letter from the Minister for Housing and Regeneration to the Chair of the Finance Committee – 14 November 2017 (PDF, 321KB)

Stage 3: Plenary consideration of amendments

Stage 3 consideration and disposal of amendments took place in Plenary on 28 November 2017.

Notice of Amendments – 31 October 2017 (PDF 84 KB)

Notice of Amendments – 21 November 2017 (PDF 64 KB)

Marshalled List – 28 November 2017 (PDF 97 KB)

Groupings of Amendments – 28 November 2017 (PDF 68 KB)

Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill, as amended at Stage 3 (PDF 117 KB)

Stage 4: Passing of the Bill in Plenary

The Bill was agreed by the Assembly in accordance with SO 12.36 on 5 December 2017.

Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill, as passed

Post-stage 4

The four week period has ended. Letters patent for the Bill have been submitted to Her Majesty The Queen for Royal Assent.

The Attorney General, Counsel General and Secretary of State for Wales wrote to the Chief Executive and Clerk of the Assembly to advise that they would not be referring the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill to the Supreme Court under Sections 112 or 114 of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Date of Royal Assent

Royal Assent was given on 24 January 2018.

Contact information

Clerk: Naomi Stocks

Phone: 0300 200 6565

Postal address:

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay

Cardiff CF99 1NA

Email: SeneddCommunities@assembly.wales