Plaid Cymru's Hywel Williams MP has said that both Labour and the conservatives should be ashamed that they have blocked the Assembly's right to legislate in order to improve housing in Wales.

Mr Williams's attack came as it appeared that the final stage of the Housing LCO failed to get through the wash-up at Westminster. Both Labour and Conservatives have delayed for political point scoring throughout the three year process that it has taken to develop the Housing LCO (Legislative competence order) which is now in its final stages and would mean devolving powers over housing in Wales to the One Wales Government.

Despite this Plaid Cymru has persevered both in the Assembly and at Westminster over the crucial piece of Housing legislation, which is backed by several leading Housing organisations. Hywel Williams said that in a hung parliament situation, Plaid would seek a guarantee that these powers are transferred.

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Mr Williams MP said that the Tories' latest attempts to block the passage of the LCO had not only served to undermine the devolution system but showed that the LCO system was not "fit for purpose" as it had not worked to the advantage of the Welsh Assembly Government and the people of Wales.

The final straw, Mr Williams said, was the fact that the system had eventually allowed the Tories - an opposition party in Westminster - to block the democratic will of the National Assembly. Moreover the process had been full of contradictions with the Tories supporting the transfer of these powers to Wales in a future Referendum but not through this current Legislative Competence Order.

Mr Williams said: "Neither the Tories nor Labour are free from blame in allowing this situation to arise. Let’s not forget that both parties in Westminster blocked the first piece of legislation. The second was denied to the Assembly by a cabal of Conservative MPs.

"This Order would have allowed the Assembly Government to address the shortage of affordable housing as well as provide housing support for the most vulnerable. The London parties should be ashamed.

"When this LCO system came into being it was said that MPs would not be able to block the Assembly from having powers on ideological or political grounds but these events have shown that the system is clearly not fit for purpose.

"Indeed, the Conservatives gave their full support to the proposed LCO during the Committee stage in the National Assembly. This sudden turn around is political game playing. We urge them to put this to one side on such an important issue as people’s homes, tackling the pressing issue of a shortage of affordable housing as well as housing support for the most vulnerable."

(CD/GK)