Jane Hutt MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Derek Walker, and his office for producing this important report, and for the vital role they continue to play in championing the ambitions of this landmark legislation. Over the past decade, the Act has become a defining feature of public life in Wales. It underpins everything we do in Welsh Government and remains central to our mission.
I am grateful to the Commissioner for the breadth and depth of the recommendations put forward to both Welsh Government and public bodies and for the constructive challenge and support that his office provides. The recommendations speak directly to the long‑term, preventative and collaborative ways of working that the Act requires of us all.
In the annex to this statement, I have provided Welsh Government’s response to each of the Commissioner’s recommendations to Welsh Government. I am pleased that we were able to agree to many of the recommendations, and I know that many others will be considered by the next Welsh Government.
I have answered the recommendations on behalf of the Welsh Government. However, I also want to express my support of the recommendations for other public bodies and encourage active engagement from the public sector on these. Alongside the Commissioner’s report, I endorse 22 of the 23 recommendations for Public Bodies in the report. My endorsement of these recommendations is shown in the annex to this statement. The Welsh Government will continue to work closely with the Commissioner’s office to help progress adoption of the recommendations across both Welsh Government and Public Bodies. This includes those recommendations addressed to Public Bodies and not to Welsh Government (recommendations 19, 20, 26 and 35).
It has been a privilege to contribute to the continued implementation of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, one of Wales’s proudest achievements. The Act has and continues to shape a fairer, greener and more prosperous future for generations to come.