First Minister Carwyn Jones has welcomed the Royal Approval given to the Assembly’s bid for law-making powers in three key areas – the environment, mental health, and the Welsh language – and for new legislation to help children in Wales.
Three Legislative Competence Orders (known as LCOs) have been made by the Queen in Privy Council. These Orders confer law-making powers on the National Assembly. The Welsh Assembly Government will now be seeking to make new Welsh laws, called Measures, in each area.
Royal Approval was also given to the Children and Families Measure, which is designed to help protect vulnerable children and combat child poverty.
The First Minister said:
“I am delighted these LCOs have now been made. We will now be moving swiftly forward towards proposing three new Measures. This will give us the chance to deliver more Welsh legislation which fits the needs of the people of Wales.
“The Children and Families Measure makes statutory provision to take forward our commitment to eradicate child poverty, and to provide greater support to families where children may be at risk, and strengthened regulatory enforcement in child care settings.
“This Measure underlines the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families in Wales. We now have the ‘tools’ to get on and provide support to those families and children in greatest need.”
