Mike Hedges MS welcomes proposed new laws to help transform Wales into a stronger, greener and fairer country  

Mike Hedges MS welcomes proposed new laws to help transform Wales into a stronger, greener and fairer country

Member of the Senedd for Swansea East, Mike Hedges,  has welcomed the announcement of new laws that will help transform Wales into a stronger, greener and fairer country. 

In the Senedd chamber on Tuesday 6 July, Welsh Labour’s Counsel General, Mick Antoniw MS, announced the Welsh Labour Government’s ambitious legislative programme that will help to shape the Wales of the future as it recovers from the pandemic. This is an essential part of the radical and ambitious Programme for Government that was announced recently.

In the first year of this Senedd term, the Welsh Labour Government will bring forward five new Bills and a wide array of regulations, as well as any other legislation needed to manage the pandemic.

The Bills for the first year of this Senedd, which will be introduced from the autumn include proposals for:

• A new system for post-16 education and training in Wales. The long-term programme of education reform will make sure nobody is left behind after the pandemic.
• A new system of farm payments in Wales. The new payments system will reward farmers for their response to the climate and nature emergencies as well as supporting them to produce Welsh food in a sustainable way.
• The fair work rights of workers will be protected by the Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill. The Bill will also lead to more socially responsible public procurement.
• Changes to devolved taxes to respond quickly to unexpected events which could have a significant impact on Welsh revenues.
• A consolidation Bill, to make the law in Wales more accessible. It will bring together a mass of very old, complicated legislation relating to listed buildings and the historic environment, to create a single and fully bilingual law which is easy to understand.

New regulations – sometimes called subordinate legislation – will also be brought forward to support schools and teachers to deliver radical changes to Wales’s school curriculum.

Regulations will also be introduced to make 20mph the default speed limit in residential areas and ban pavement parking wherever possible. This will make our streets more accessible for disabled people and parents with prams and pushchairs.

The Renting Homes (Wales) Act will be implemented, which will improve the rights of people who rent their home, prevent retaliatory eviction, ensure homes are better places to live, and require that tenants are given written contracts.

And legislation will also be introduced to give more support to learners up to the age of 25 with additional learning needs. The new scheme, which was envisaged by the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act, will ensure children and young people, families and services work better together to focus on learners’ individual needs.

Member of the Senedd for Swansea East, Mike Hedges said:

“These new laws will benefit people right across Swansea East in their daily lives – from rights at work, to the ability to rent a home, safer roads and deliver opportunities in education and training.

“As a Welsh Labour MS, my focus will be on delivering the legislative programme that is founded on our distinctively Welsh values for my constituents.”

Speaking in the Senedd chamber, Welsh Labour’s Counsel General, Mick Antoniw MS, said:

“Today I am pleased to make a statement on our legislative programme, an essential part of our ambitious and radical Programme for Government to help create a stronger, greener and fairer Wales.

“[…] I want to be clear that what I set out today is only the start of the legislative journey in this Senedd. Because of the uncertainties and complexities mentioned, I will focus today on the legislation to come before you in the next year – in Senedd year 1. Provided the public health position improves as we hope, then in next year’s legislative statement we should be in a position to say more about what is planned for later in this Senedd term.

“This is our programme for the coming year, but our programme for government sets out longer term ambitions requiring legislation. These include abolishing the use of more commonly littered, single use plastics; bringing forward our clean air Act, and addressing building safety to ensure another Grenfell never happens.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The Counsel General’s oral statement can be found here: https://record.assembly.wales/Plenary/12321#A66253