Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015

Measuring performance towards achieving the goals

10National indicators and annual well-being report

(1)The Welsh Ministers must—

(a)publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the well-being goals, and

(b)lay a copy of the national indicators before the National Assembly.

(2)A national indicator—

(a)must be expressed as a value or characteristic that can be measured quantitatively or qualitatively against a particular outcome;

(b)may be measured over such period of time as the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate;

(c)may be measurable in relation to Wales or any part of Wales.

(3)The Welsh Ministers must set milestones in relation to the national indicators which the Welsh Ministers consider would assist in measuring whether progress is being made towards the achievement of the well-being goals.

(4)In setting a milestone the Welsh Ministers must specify—

(a)the criteria for determining whether the milestone has been achieved (by reference to the value or characteristic by which the indicator is measured), and

(b)the time by which the milestone is to be achieved.

(5)If the well-being goals are amended, the Welsh Ministers must review the national indicators and milestones.

(6)If, on a review under subsection (5), the Welsh Ministers determine that one or more of the national indicators or milestones are no longer appropriate, they must revise it or them.

(7)The Welsh Ministers may at any other time review and revise the national indicators and milestones.

(8)Where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators and milestones under subsection (6) or (7), they must as soon as reasonably practicable—

(a)publish the indicators and milestones as revised, and

(b)lay a copy of them before the National Assembly.

(9)Before publishing national indicators and milestones (including indicators and milestones revised under subsection (6) or (7)), the Welsh Ministers must consult—

(a)the Commissioner;

(b)the other public bodies;

(c)such other persons as they consider appropriate.

(10)The Welsh Ministers must, in respect of each financial year beginning after the date on which national indicators are published under subsection (1), publish a report (an “annual well-being report”) on the progress made towards the achievement of the well-being goals by reference to the national indicators and milestones.

(11)An annual well-being report under subsection (10) must specify the periods of time to which the measurement of each indicator relates.

11Future trends report

(1)The Welsh Ministers must, during the period of 12 months beginning with the date of a general election, publish a report (a “future trends report”) that contains—

(a)predictions of likely future trends in the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, and

(b)any related analytical data and information that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate.

(2)In preparing a future trends report the Welsh Ministers must—

(a)take account of any action taken by the United Nations in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and assess the potential impact of that action on the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, and

(b)take account of the report containing an assessment of the risks for the United Kingdom of the current and predicted impact of climate change most recently sent to the Welsh Ministers under section 56(6) of the Climate Change Act 2008 (c.27).

(3)In subsection (2)(a), “UN Sustainable Development Goals” means the draft goals proposed in the report of the United Nations Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (UN document reference A/68/970) referred to in UN resolution 68/309 which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 September 2014.

(4)In subsection (1), the reference to the date of a general election is to the date on which an ordinary general election is held under section 3 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c.32) (or would be apart from section 5(5) of that Act).

12Annual reports by the Welsh Ministers

(1)The Welsh Ministers must—

(a)publish, in respect of each financial year, a report of the progress they have made towards meeting their well-being objectives, and

(b)lay a copy of the report before the National Assembly.

(2)In preparing a report under this section, the Welsh Ministers must review their well-being objectives.

(3)If, on a review under subsection (2), the Welsh Ministers determine that one or more of their well-being objectives are no longer appropriate, they must revise the objective or objectives concerned and publish the revised objective or objectives as soon as practicable.

(4)Where the Welsh Ministers revise one or more of their objectives under subsection (3), the report must include an explanation of the revision and the reasons for making it.

(5)A report under this section must be published and laid before the National Assembly as soon as reasonably practicable following the end of the financial year to which the report relates.

13Annual reports by other public bodies

(1)Schedule 1 makes provision requiring each public body other than the Welsh Ministers to publish annual reports of the progress it has made in meeting its well-being objectives.

(2)In preparing a report under Schedule 1, or under a provision amended by that Schedule, a public body must review its well-being objectives.

(3)If, on a review under subsection (2), a public body determines that one or more of its well-being objectives are no longer appropriate, it must revise the objective or objectives concerned and publish the revised objective or objectives as soon as practicable.

(4)Where a public body revises one or more of its objectives under subsection (3), the report must include an explanation of the revision and the reasons for making it.