Ministerial Legal Advice

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – in the Senedd at 2:51 pm on 1 March 2023.

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Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative 2:51, 1 March 2023

Thank you. Now, according to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, each public body must carry out sustainable development, which is the process of improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales by taking action in accordance with the sustainable development principles aimed at achieving the well-being goals. Those goals, of course, include a prosperous Wales, a healthier Wales, a Wales of cohesive communities. Now, the decision that 19 schemes should not proceed, such as the Flintshire corridor improvement, A55 junctions 15 and 16, and the third Menai crossing, will no doubt harm the prosperity, the health and connectivity of communities right across north Wales. Effectively, the scrapping of key north Wales schemes does, in my opinion, show a lack of understanding by the Welsh Government of our infrastructure, our economy and our communities to the point that questions must be raised as to whether there has actually been a breach of the well-being of future generations Act. Counsel General, will you assess whether the Welsh Government's decision not to support major schemes in north Wales is a breach of this duty? Diolch.