Hannah Blythyn MS, Deputy Minister for Social Partnership
On 6th July 2021 the Counsel General announced the Welsh Government’s plans to legislate for a Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill as part of the legislative programme for year one of this Senedd term.
Today I am publishing the summary report of the responses to the consultation on the draft Bill, which was developed in social partnership and published in February 2021. The draft Bill included provisions to put social partnership in Wales on a formal footing by creating a social partnership council, strengthening socially responsible procurement, placing a social partnership duty on certain public bodies and a fair work duty on Welsh Ministers.
Consultation on the draft Bill closed on 23 April. There were 85 consultation responses which are currently being considered as we move towards finalising a Bill for introduction in this Senedd term. I would like to thank all those who contributed to the consultation for their views and for helping us to shape the next stage of our proposals to take forward social partnership and fair work in Wales.
There was overall agreement that the proposed legislation would strengthen current social partnership arrangements in Wales and this confirms the importance of the Welsh Government’s prioritisation of the Bill.