The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015

Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:45 pm on 15 May 2019.

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Photo of Llyr Gruffydd Llyr Gruffydd Plaid Cymru 3:45, 15 May 2019

It's interesting that you describe the Act as 'well regarded', because, usually, Government Ministers tell us it's 'world-leading' and 'groundbreaking' legislation. I remind you regularly that it'll only be as much if it leads to groundbreaking and world-leading change. I have to say that this doesn't augur well, but I suppose the jury's still out on that. We clearly tried to strengthen the Bill when it was a Bill but we were voted down, but we didn't want to throw the baby out with the bath water, because it's not necessarily about transforming the legal landscape. For me, the main thrust of the Act was to effect that wider cultural change, which was about putting sustainable development as the central organising principle, if you remember that term, of the whole public sector in Wales. Now, I'm waiting to see the evidence that I'd like to see in terms of that being achieved still, although I think it's work in process. I suppose the M4 decision around the black route to me will be a litmus test. If you fail that test, then the Act won't be worth the paper it's written on, as far as I'm concerned.

The important thing here is, of course—I'd like to ask whether the Government is committed to undertaking post-implementation review of this legislation so that we can be confident that it actually does what it said on the tin. And if it does show up deficiencies, and we've already heard one, then would you as Government be committed, then, to look again at the Bill and to maybe introduce further legislation to correct it, so that it can be the strong legislation that we all want it to be?