First Minister unveils first year legislative priorities

A new law to remove the UK Government’s “harmful reforms” to the rights of workers in Wales’s devolved public services is to be introduced by the Welsh Government during the first year of the fifth Assembly, First Minister, Carwyn Jones announced today.

Unveiling the Welsh Government’s legislative programme for 2016-17 to AMs, the First Minister announced that six Bills will be introduced over the next year – ranging from the establishment of new Welsh devolved taxes, to delivering improvements in public health, ensuring a sufficient supply of social housing by abolishing the Right to Buy, and reforming the system of support for children and young people with additional learning needs.

First Minister, Carwyn Jones said:

“Over the next twelve months, we will introduce legislation that will deliver real improvements for the people of Wales.

“Following the summer recess, we will introduce historic legislation to create the first made-in-Wales taxes in more than 800 years – a significant step for us as a government and for Wales as a nation.

“We will also act to remove the UK Government’s fundamentally harmful reforms to the rights of workers in the public services this Welsh Government is responsible for, and introduce new laws to protect our social housing stock, improve public health, and reform the system for children and young people with additional learning needs.”

Two Tax Bills will be introduced to establish the two taxes to be devolved to Wales in April 2018; a land transaction tax, which will replace the current stamp duty land tax (SDLT), and a landfill disposals tax for Wales, which will replace the current landfill tax.

New legislation will be introduced to repeal sections of the UK Government’s Trade Union Act in devolved areas.

A Public Health Bill will be introduced to deliver improvements to the nation’s health. It will not include the proposed restrictions on the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed spaces contained in the Public Health Bill introduced in the last Assembly.

An Additional Learning Needs Bill will provide for a new legal framework for supporting children and young people, aged 0–25, who have additional learning needs, delivering improvements to the services they receive.

A bill will be introduced to safeguard Wales’ social housing stock by abolishing the Right to Buy and the Right to Acquire. This will ensure social housing is available to those who need it, and who are unable to access accommodation through home ownership or the private rented sector.