Joana Margarida Martins RODRIGUES
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12522131/officers
EUROCONNEXXIONS LIMITED
Blyth
Social worker
Samantha Price
De Souza

Apart from a general preference for rentals to be controlled by H.A’s I suspect that Wales Gov hasn’t got much of a clue. lt created Rent Smart just to enable another bureaucratic exercise in collecting information and levying a raft of fees from those landlords who complied, and penalties from those that did not. Now it has started a big push on standards which of itself is no bad thing except it fails to take into account that one of the major causes of dilapidations and other drivers of poor quality of housing is the conduct of tenants. Hooligans may be in the minority but they exist yet the idealistic tone of RentSmart’s documents does not take this into account. No surprise that there is a steady withdrawal of properties from private rental sector. And some of these end up as bnb/holiday homes as experience suggests there is less exposure to bureaucracy and hooliganism.

In which case I shall request an “internal review” of their decision to withhold the information, followed by a request for external assessment by ICO: a process that can take up to 2 years.

Just noticed a minor typo in my letter. Treasure should be Treasury.

I look forward to seeing the response. Though I guarantee it’ll say something like, ‘Of course we did a Cost v Benefit analysis, but commercial confidentiality means we can’t tell anyone the findings’.

Freedom of Information Officer
Information Rights Unit
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

My Ref: NCC/WJ/ 14
Your Ref:
Date: 14 September 2022
cc:

Dear Freedom of Information Officer

Subject: Purchase of Gilestone Farm by Welsh Government – Cost v Benefit analysis

I refer to the above subject. H M Treasure “Green Book” protocol requires appraisal and evaluation of Welsh Government policies, programmes and projects. The appraisal process, in turn, requires a “Cost v Benefit analysis” to be undertaken to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.

Accordingly, I would be grateful if you could arrange to provide me with a copy of the “Cost v Benefit analysis” undertaken by Welsh Government officials to inform the ministerial decision to purchase Gilestone Farm in the sum of £4.25 million.

I look forward to receiving the information at your earliest convenience or, alternatively, confirmation that you intend to withhold the information and claim an exemption pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or an exception pursuant to the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

If you require further clarification you are welcome to contact me at any time. Thank you.

Yours sincerely

They want rented housing controlled by housing associations which in turn are controlled by the ‘Welsh Government’. That’s been the direction of travel since the introduction of devolution. With non-Labour housing associations – e.g. Cantref – undermined and taken over by housing associations Labour does control. In the case of Cantref of Castell Newydd Emlyn it was Wales & West, where the CEO is the wife of a Cardiff Labour councillor.

These were recorded messages.

https://landlordlawblog.co.uk/2022/09/12/landlord-liability-for-contract-changes-introduced-by-the-welsh-government/?inf_contact_key=358f765081d450c7a91ac2475ff89a02680f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1

I normally respond to such calls in Welsh. They soon slam the receiver down !