| Summary: | This thesis offers the first detailed assessment of the legislative and regulatory differences that have developed between Wales and England, in the social housing context, since the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999. The development of policy and legislative variation between the nations of the UK remains an underexplored aspect of devolution in the UK. This thesis aims to help fill this gap within the existing legal, socio-legal and policy literature on devolution and divergence. In undertaking this exploration, the thesis also seeks to make a contribution to the literature on housing law and policy. In exploring patterns of divergence in social housing regulation between Wales and England, the thesis sets out to address four key issues. First, the thesis seeks to identify the timing of divergence between Wales and England. Secondly, it explores the legislative provisions in place today, and assesses the existence and extent of differences between both nations. Thirdly, the thesis considers the impact of legislative and regulatory differences in practice. Fourthly, it examines the factors that have impacted upon the divergence process. The thesis uses a mixed methods approach in analysing the issues above. These methods include semi-structured interviews, doctrinal analysis, textual analysis, content analysis and an exploration of archival material. Deploying this range of methods means that the thesis makes a broader contribution to the literature on devolution and social housing. Amongst the key findings of the thesis is the identification, for the first of the point at which powers over housing were first devolved to Wales, and a development in our understanding of the complicated way in which divergence develops. The thesis concludes by reflecting on how these, and other findings, impact upon our understanding of devolution in Wales, and by discussing the implications for contemporary devolution and housing debates.
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