Lesley Griffiths MS, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
Today I am pleased to lay regulations to extend the sustainable development and well-being duty (Part 2) of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (the WFG Act) to eight additional public bodies:
- Qualifications Wales
- Social Care Wales
- Health Education and Improvement Wales,
- Welsh Revenue Authority,
- Transport for Wales,
- Centre for Digital Public Services Ltd,
- Digital Health and Care Wales,
- Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust.
The regulations add the eight additional public bodies to section 6(1) of the WFG Act, making them subject to Part 2 and 3 of the Act. The regulations also make required provision in relation to section 9 and section 15 of the WFG Act. The provisions provide that the additional bodies must set and publish well-being objectives no later than 31 March 2025 and extend the Auditor General for Wales examination period, in relation to the additional bodies.
An Explanatory Memorandum, including a Regulatory Impact Assessment has also been laid, and a summary of the Integrated Impact Assessment published alongside the regulations.
The well-being duty requires named public bodies to carry out sustainable development, which is the process of improving the economic, social, environmental, and cultural well-being of Wales by acting in accordance with the sustainable development principle, aimed at achieving the well-being goals as set out in the WFG Act.
In doing so, public bodies must set and publish well-being objectives designed to maximise their contribution to achieving each of the well-being goals and take all reasonable steps to meet those objectives. They must also act in accordance with the sustainable development principle.
Subject to approval by the Senedd, the regulations will add the additional public bodies to section 6(1) on 30 June 2024, bringing the total number of devolved public bodies under the WFG Act to 56. The inclusion of these additional public bodies will increase the scope and breadth of the sustainable development agenda in Wales, which is central to how we work in Wales for a more sustainable future.