Section 16 – Promotion of sustainable development
66.Section 16 amends section 79 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, which contains a duty on the Welsh Ministers in respect of sustainable development.
67.The duty under section 79 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 before this section comes into force requires the Welsh Ministers to make a scheme to promote sustainable development.
68.The amendment to section 79 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 made by this Act retains a duty on the Welsh Ministers to make appropriate arrangements to promote sustainable development and to publish an annual report in respect of the arrangements made.
69.It removes the detailed requirements to produce a scheme and assessments of effectiveness of the scheme and replaces them by making it clear that the arrangements to promote sustainable development can be discharged by the Welsh Ministers exercising their functions under section 3(2) of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Section 3(2) provides that the Welsh Ministers must set well-being objectives which seek to maximise their contribution to the well-being goals. In addition, the Welsh Ministers must take all reasonable steps, in exercising their functions, to meet their well-being objectives.
