9. Short Debate: The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015: Envy of the world?

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:40 pm on 8 December 2021.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 6:40, 8 December 2021

Let's look at those key features of that Act: the establishment of an independent future generations commissioner for Wales, powerfully independent and such a strong voice, showing and demonstrating the leadership that that Act needed in our future generations commissioner to take us forward into the first years of the Act, specifically tasked with promoting the sustainable development principle and acting as a guardian of the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The commissioner and her team have led the message to spread the Welsh approach across the world, and supported and advised bodies in Wales on how to work in a sustainable way. One of the commissioner's initiatives, which they've been very pleased to engage with, is the development of the Future Generations Leadership Academy. That's supporting our diverse range of young people to develop their leadership on the well-being of future generations agenda. I know all 35 members of the new cohort met together last month. They're going to be a beacon of change, not just in terms of Government, public sector, business and the community sectors—that's where they're drawn from, and members of the Welsh Government civil service are part of that.

Culture is also one of the distinctive characteristics to the Welsh approach. That's a strong feeling that we needed to ensure that cultural well-being became the fourth defining feature of sustainable development, alongside the economy, environment and society. Looking ahead, our co-operation agreement includes a commitment to develop a new culture strategy and ensure that each Government department works strategically towards that sixth well-being goal: a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language.

I think the citizen engagement and involvement way of working is particularly distinctive. It does look to transform how public bodies involve people in the decisions that affect them, and the role of citizens in shaping Wales's future is essential if we're going to achieve the well-being goals. So, the Act requiring public bodies to ensure the involvement of people is at the heart of how they work. Public bodies are not all used to—. They don't all have the tradition and understanding of how that happens, but it has been making a difference—that approach.

And I just want to mention the race equality action plan for an anti-racist Wales, which was co-constructed with black, Asian and ethnic minority communities. It's grounded in that recognition of a need for fundamental change, reflects our commitment to listen to our ethnic minority people, communities and networks, and to take action to make changes in ways that are tangible to their communities, based on their lived experience, them coming into the Welsh Government, mentoring the civil servants, then funding groups in communities to influence the plan. But I do agree with the sentiment behind the Member's views about involving citizens in the decisions that affect them. It's very clear that that has to be about the diversity of Wales—a core of the sustainable development principle.

Now, we go on to the crux of your debate today about the fact that the Act doesn't—the points that you wanted to raise in this debate—confer individual rights onto citizens. It wasn't designed to do this, and we do caution against placing expectations on the Act that it's not designed to do. But we can and must have the debate about whether the Act needs to change, and I'll work with the Equality and Social Justice Committee and Members on matters relating to any post-legislative review. I'm sure that's what you wanted to hear tonight.

We do have to recognise, just in terms of those kinds of so-called individual decisions—I won't go into all of them that you've raised—that a public body's duty to act in accordance with the sustainable development principle doesn't dictate the decision they must reach in any given situation. The Act wasn't designed to provide the right answers. It doesn't remove the difficult decisions that public bodies must take, but it does set out factors that they must conscientiously consider before making a decision to which the well-being duty applies, and Mabon actually drew attention to how, as a local authority councillor, it was brought into the considerations in terms of difficult decisions that were being made.

I can give you many examples of how we feel the Act is remaining up to date, is relevant for Wales now and in the future, and I do hope that that is what you feel, because it's such a powerful tool.

Next week, I will be making a statement on the national milestones and updated national indicators—we're laying it next week—further explanation of what the well-being goals mean in practice, updating our indicators as well, and particularly looking at those issues that are crucial in terms of how the Act can keep pace with the Wales of today.

I think it's also important that we recognise that the future generations report and the evidence presented to the Public Accounts Committee showed that the Act was changing conversations and the ways in which public bodies work, and the commissioner said that the Act is bringing about some excellent innovation and she's observing a growing movement of change, with people daring to deliver differently—Public Health Wales, our health sustainability hub; Rhondda Cynon Taf, an involvement platform in terms of getting involved in information on climate change; the Co-production Network for Wales; the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Natural Resources Wales, looking at collaboration, integration; and Amgueddfa Cymru, looking at a well-being objective on developing skills for employing young people. I can go on, but we're out of time, I can see, Llywydd.

So, I just want to say finally that our co-operation agreement does give us opportunities, doesn't it, particularly, as you've said, in relation to the climate and nature emergencies, the greatest threats facing our world, but we can work together to tackle these twin emergencies. We are taking those bold steps towards a net-zero Wales and addressing nature loss, improving diversity and planting more trees, and our shared policy area on sustainable public services will help us understand the future needs of Welsh public services. So, these commitments build on our shared values of social solidarity, a sustainable planet and a vibrant democracy. So, where we go forward, it must be on the strength of belief in this Act, belief in it and in the way it's delivered. We're at the start of a journey—I was very conscious of the words that are in this little book, which you will, I'm sure, be aware of, 'futuregen: Lessons from a small country', which was co-authored by Jane Davidson, who helped set us off as a former Minister, about the recognition:

'What Wales is doing today, the world will do tomorrow' by the UN Assistant Secretary General. So, let's be proud of the Act, and let's make it work. Diolch yn fawr.