General Overview of the Act Part 2 – Improving well-being
3.Part 2 sets out the well-being goals which public bodies must seek to achieve.
4.This Part specifies which bodies are ‘public bodies’ for the purposes of Parts 2 and 3 of the Act and requires those public bodies to set and publish well-being objectives designed to maximise their contribution to the achievement of the well-being goals. Public bodies must set and take all reasonable steps to meet their well-being objectives in accordance with the sustainable development principle. The matters to which public bodies must take account of when acting in accordance with the principle are set out in this Part of the Act.
5.Under Part 2, the Welsh Ministers are required to set national indicators that must be used to measure progress towards achieving the well-being goals and must also set milestones in relation to the national indicators. The Welsh Ministers must publish annually, a report (the ‘annual well-being report’) on progress made towards achieving the well-being goals with reference to those indicators and milestones. Following each National Assembly election the Welsh Ministers must publish a ‘future trends report’ which includes an assessment of likely future trends in relation to the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales.
6.Part 2 also requires the Auditor General for Wales to carry out examinations into the extent to which public bodies set well-being objectives and take steps to meet them in accordance with the sustainable development principle. Finally, this Part requires public bodies, including the Welsh Ministers, to report annually on their progress towards achieving their well-being objectives. Schedule 1, which is introduced in this Part, sets out additional requirements in relation to annual reporting by public bodies (excluding the Welsh Ministers).