Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Good to see Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Housing Minister launching this action plan…Here is the Government’s statement on the issue that was sent to all AMs.

I will announce the launch of the Mortgage Rescue Action Plan in a Plenary debate on Wednesday 24 June 2009.

The Action Plan sets out the actions we intend to take with our partners to address the threat to people’s homes due to mortgage repossession.

Mortgage repossession actions have risen significantly over the last two years, and is an indicator of the financial stress experienced by many households in the current economic climate. I recognised the need to tackle this issue last year when I established a working group to identify the action needed to mitigate the problem.

The Mortgage Rescue Task Group includes membership from the Council of Mortgage Lenders, Third sector advice organisations, the National Landlord Association, and representatives from the Local Authority and Housing Association sector. Its work has led the development of a new action plan to help prevent repossession amongst home owners.

The Mortgage Rescue Action Plan I will be launching incorporates a programme of action involving a wide range of partners, and requires complementary measures to enable people to retain their accommodation wherever possible. Where it is not possible we must ensure people have the help and advice they need to secure alternative accommodation which meets their needs.

The Action Plan includes measures to improve access to debt and related financial advice; training to improve the skills of front-line staff in providing this advice; ensuring court action for repossession is only taken as a last resort; and making the best use of our Mortgage Rescue Scheme to help those in greatest need. These actions will link in to the implementation of the Financial Inclusion Strategy which is currently being finalised.

We have already carried out wide consultation on a draft Ten Year Homelessness Plan for Wales. This Plan will set out our long term vision for tackling homelessness, including our emphasis on prevention through comprehensive advice and assistance, improved regulation, strengthening people’s financial capacity, and better liaison between agencies to ensure people have access to alternative housing options including mortgage rescue services.

I’m in a celebratory mood today. I never win anything, but today I’ve won the ballot for the short debate at the National Assembly that will take place next Wednesday at 6pm. I have quite a few ideas, but feel free to lobby me until end of play tomorrow and I will consider your ideas. Given that my efforts alongside other Plaid AMs failed in getting any time for government backbench debates  in the Assembly, this is really one of the few times in the day where we have a chance to put forward our agenda, on our terms. So no pressure then!

On a not so positive note, it was disheartening to learn today that George William and his family, based in Swansea but originally from Pakistan, have been detained in Yarlswood detention Centre yesterday for a second time. I have tried to help the family in their fight against deportation and their sons, who were detained last year, and I hope that I can help this time again. I met the family at their home, and the children were doing so well at school, so it is unfortunate that they have been lifted from the community so abruptly. I’ve asked Brian Gibbons as Social Justice Minister to look in to this case- specifically the areas where we can make a difference- in education and health, and this in the context that the children are now unable to receive education, and that their rights are quite clearly being undermined by being detained in this way.

I will of course contact the Home Office, but this is one discussion that I am really keen to have on the new cross party group on human rights. I often feel frustrated that we cannot do more to help asylum seekers, especially when they are detained, but if AMs come together to discuss common themes, I think we can strengthen our campaigning most definitely.

If you want to support the family, then please write to Alan Johnson at the Home Office , 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF. Will he do anything differently on this agenda to his predecessor, I wonder??

I am on the show AM PM tomorrow briefly- talking about the last meeting of the All Wales Convention, and a referendum on a Parliament for Wales. ITV Wales are also doing a piece on men with eating disorders in relation to over exercising, to which I hope to contribute. So watch this space!

Mencap Cymru’s Partners in Politics project has made the semi finals of this year’s National Lottery Awards.

The awards want to find the UK’s favourite lottery funded projects and we are very excited that our project has made it to this stage.

They need your help to make sure that the project that helps those with a learning disability enter the political process reach the final. To register your support for the project, please visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or call 0844 686 2672
(calls cost
5p) before midday on the 10th of July 2009.

You can see the page on Partners in Politics specificially here.