Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he has a 'chalet' in Pembrokeshire but said it was not a second home. Mr Drakeford was answering questions as he stood alongside Plaid's Adam Price to announce the latest element of their attempt to reduce the demand for second homes in rural parts of Wales. See the full details of those plans here.
Both party leaders were asked if they had a second home. Mr Price said that as an MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, he had a home in his constituency and a property in Cardiff. Mr Drakeford said he, or his family, had owned what he called a chalet in Pembrokeshire for 27 years. He said he had also used second homes.
Referring to the property in Pembrokeshire, Mr Drakeford said: "Under the existing legislation and the legislation we're talking about today, it's not counted as a second home if it's somewhere you can't occupy the year round. Most people will be familiar listening to this, if you have a caravan you can occupy it between March and October but not the rest of the year.
"I have had, or our family has had, I think it will be 27 years this year, a chalet in Pembrokeshire which is occupied on the same terms. You can occupy it some of the year but not the rest of the year." Those sort of properties are exempt from higher council tax premiums, he said. I have got somewhere I'm able to go. I was there this weekend and hopefully there quite a bit more over the summer".
Read more:
- Wales' crackdown on second homes won't help people in rural areas get on the property ladder, warns leading UK housing body
- More Welsh health boards reintroduce face masks and social distancing after sharp rise in Covid cases
He was asked if he'd continue to use holiday homes, he said: "Yes, definitely, I was brought up going to Kiln Park in Tenby for our holiday so quite certainly I have, and many years in that way".
Asked if he will still make use of one, he said he didn't have a second home "in the terms we're talking about today". He said it is not an attack on anyone wanting to come to Wales and this was not motivated by people wanting to come here.
Mr Price said: "Of course, I've stayed in hotels, B&Bs and holiday lets in Wales and other parts of the world. This isn't about saying this is wrong it's about getting balance." He said communities can be "overwhelmed" and people are priced out of the market completely.
Mr Price said: "Unlike the First Minister I don't represent a Cardiff constituency so I live and work in two places. I have a house in my constituency and I also have a house here in Cardiff. I look forward to streamlining my life when I leave politics".
Mr Price said he had both a home in his constituency of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, and Cardiff. Mr Price's register of interests says his partner, who is a judge, has two rental properties in London. His register of interests for the previous Senedd (from 2016 to 2021) said he had also owned a residential property in London but that has now ceased.
READ NEXT
