Legislative programme 2011 - 2012

Its legislative priorities and aspirations are outlined for its 5 year term and are updated annually.

The Legislative Programme consists of the laws being developed and proposed by the Welsh Government to help deliver the programme for government. It comprises Assembly Bills, as well as White Papers and Draft Bills for consultation.
 
The Legislative Programme is outlined in an annual statement made by the First Minister, which can be found on the National Assembly for Wales website.

Among the areas announced by the First Minister on 12th July 2011 that Bills will address are:

• Making local authorities to further collaborate when delivering services.
• A new Food Hygiene Rating Scheme to help improve food safety and provide consumers with easily understandable information.
• Organ Donation Bill to create an opt-out system of organ donation.
• The Schools and Standards Bill to tackle under performing schools.
• Reforming social services to provide for the first time a coherent Welsh legal framework to meet changing social expectations and demography.
• Action to address homelessness and empty dwellings, as well as improving standards and tenants' rights in the private rented sector.
• Introduce a duty on Local Authorities to provide and maintain cycle paths in key areas.
• Consolidate existing legislation to make the planning system more transparent and accessible.

The following are the Assembly Bills announced for the 2011/12 session:

Local Government (Byelaws) (Wales) Bill

 To simplify byelaw procedures with the aim of fostering greater responsibility for and ownership of local laws. 

Local Government (Collaboration Measures) (Wales) Bill

To support collaboration between local authorities, and other public bodies, to improve service provision.

The Public Audit (Wales) Bill

To establish the Wales Audit Office, and make provision about the Auditor General Wales.

Schools Standards and Organisation (Wales) Bill

To improve standards and performance in education in Wales.  It will change the way in which schools are organised, put in place actions to drive up school improvement, make provision for statutory Welsh in Education Strategic Plans, and streamline the payment of certain grants to Local Authorities

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (Wales) Bill

To make mandatory arrangements for a simple public health measure to give consumers easily understood at-a-glance information on the hygiene standards of a food business so they can make better informed choices about where they eat or shop.