Julie James, Minister for Housing and Local Government
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Section 45C of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (‘the 1984 Act’) enables the Welsh Ministers, by regulations, to make provision for the purpose of preventing, protecting against, controlling or providing a public health response to the incidence or spread of infection or contamination in Wales.
As Minister for Housing and Local Government, and using the powers under section 45C the 1984 Act, I have today laid before the Senedd regulations in response to the serious and imminent threat to public health which is posed by the incidence and spread of Covid 19.
The Regulations come into force on 11 December and will expire on 11 January 2021.
The Regulations prevent, except in specified circumstances, attendance at a dwelling-house for the purpose of executing a writ or warrant of possession, executing a writ or warrant of restitution or delivering a notice of eviction. The specified circumstances are where the court is satisfied that the claim is against trespassers who are persons unknown or where it was made wholly or partly on the grounds of anti-social behaviour, serious offences, nuisance, domestic violence or, in cases where the person attending is satisfied that the dwelling-house is unoccupied at the time of attendance, the death of the occupant.
The purpose of the Regulations is to ensure that during the Christmas and mid-winter period, evictions are kept as low as possible. With access to services and alternative accommodation often limited during this time, there is a heightened risk that evictions will lead to homelessness, which in turn increases the risk of transmission of the virus.
A copy of the Regulations and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum can be viewed here and here.