The Law Commission has appointed Dr Nerys Llewelyn Jones as Special Counsel for Wales, a role created to bolster its long-term commitment to law reform in Wales. The role, which is part-time and for one year, is “designed to help shape the Commission’s work in Wales, providing senior leadership and strategic advice on the selection,…
The Senedd has passed the British Sign Language (Wales) Bill, which will establish a new framework to promote and support the use of British Sign Language in Wales. The Bill places duties on Welsh Ministers to develop a National BSL Strategy, informed by a BSL adviser and an assisting panel, alongside BSL guidance. This guidance…
Welsh council leaders have called for schools and social care to be “at the front of the queue” for any additional funding flowing to Wales following the UK Government’s Spring Statement. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) noted that spending by the UK Government on education and young people with special education needs and disabilities…
The Senedd has nominated Catherine Mealing Jones, currently chief executive at Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, for appointment as the next Auditor General for Wales. The final stage is formal appointment by the King, with Mealing Jones expected to take up the role on 21 July. She will succeed Adrian Crompton, who has served as…
Despite improvements in post-assessment communications and practical support for carers, a gap still remains between the number of people who identify as carers and those receiving formal needs assessments in Wales. These are the findings of a follow up report published by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, looking into how Welsh local authorities identify, assess and support unpaid carers. The original investigation,…
Wales’ four corporate joint committees (CJC) – regional bodies comprising local authorities – should assist large scale infrastructure projects on legal services, ecology, landscape and transport and explore the potential for standardised section 106 agreements. Those recommendations have come in a report by the Royal Town Planning Institute Cymru (RTPIC) on the parlous state of the planning…
The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, which establishes a new framework for environmental protection, has passed the Senedd. The legislation will create the Office of Environmental Governance Wales, an independent body responsible for holding public authorities to account on environmental law. This includes scrutinising the Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and local authorities. The…
The Welsh Affairs Committee has this month launched an inquiry into the challenges faced by people accessing cross-border healthcare. The committee said: “NHS patients from all across Wales and parts of England often access healthcare across the border to use services closer to home, to receive treatment not available locally or to access specialist care….
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales is to conduct ‘own initiative’ investigations into disrepair, damp and mould at two housing associations. The Ombudsman said it would write to these bodies individually to outline its proposed investigations, giving them an opportunity to comment in line with the legislation under which it operates. It also said that…
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has launched a public consultation on its draft Strategic Plan for 2026–2029, which it says sets out an “ambitious but realistic” programme of work. The programme is built around four strategic aims, which are: The draft plan has been developed following internal discussions and “detailed consideration of the key…
