Ms Caroline Timmons:

The committee might be interested in knowing about the compulsory purchase order, CPO, activation programme that we launched in April. We agree with the Deputy that the use of CPO powers by the local authorities could be strengthened. We published a significant guide to local authorities as part of the activation programme on how to use these CPO powers. We have asked them to put 4,000 properties through the programme this year. Those properties can be activated in a number of ways, for example through the vacant property refurbishment grant, the repair-and-lease scheme or the buy-and-renew scheme. Another option would be to put a property through the CPO process. We have asked local authorities to look at their derelict sites registers and their vacant stock surveys and to engage with landlords on this matter.