To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) any data his Department currently collects on second home ownership and short-term holiday lets; and (ii) whether his Department intends to improve the quality, and availability, of this data to better inform housing policy.

Officials from my Department are currently carrying out research on second home ownership to improve our understanding of the issues.

Regarding short-term holiday lets, my officials have been working closely with colleagues in the Department for the Economy and the Department for Infrastructure to scope out research on the nature, scale and potential impacts of short-term holiday lets on local housing markets, which in turn will help to identify further policy options. It is hoped to commission this research shortly.