The Programme for Government
The First Minister will today set out ambitious plans for a stronger, greener and fairer Wales as he launches the Programme for Government.
The 5-year plan shows how the new Welsh Government will deliver on the promises made to voters during the Senedd 2021 election and how it will tackle the big challenges we face in Wales.
Climate change and the environment will be at the heart of the new government – a new “super-Ministry” has been created, bringing together the big policy areas to help Wales reach its legally binding target of reaching Net Zero by 2050.
For the first time, transport, planning, housing and energy are brought together, with the environment, to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, making sure climate change is firmly on the agenda for every public service and private sector business.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said, “We will build a fairer, greener, stronger and ever more successful Wales that we all want for ourselves and for each other.
“But I am determined that as we move Wales forward, no one will be left behind and no one will be held back.
“People in Wales look after each other, and this programme is built on exactly that principle.
“These plans will help move Wales forward beyond the pandemic which has affected every part of our lives. They focus on the areas where we can make the greatest difference to people and communities.
“We will help our learners catch up and help people into new jobs. We will restore capacity in the NHS and help our industries and businesses prepare for the opportunities that lie ahead of us.
“It is a transparent and achievable plan but recognises the need for radical action and innovative thinking in the face of unprecedented challenge.
The Programme for Government highlights the cross-cutting commitments and the Welsh Government’s wellbeing objectives including to:
- Provide advanced, effective healthcare closer to people’s homes
- Protect, re-build and develop our services for vulnerable people
- Build an economy based on the principles of fair work, sustainability and the industries and services of the future
- Embed our response to the climate and nature emergency in everything we do
- Push towards a million Welsh speakers, and enable our tourism, sports and arts industries to thrive
- Continue our long-term programme of education reform, and ensure educational inequalities narrow and standards rise
- Celebrate diversity and move to eliminate inequality in all of its forms
- Lead Wales in a national civic conversation about our constitutional future, and give our country the strongest possible voice on the world stage
- Make our cities, towns a villages even better places in which to live and work
- Build a stronger, greener economy as we make maximum progress towards decarbonisation
The plan launches a new 10-year Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan for a zero-carbon economy. It works towards a new target of 45% of journeys by sustainable modes by 2040, setting more stretching goals where possible.
It aims to make our cities, towns a villages even better places in which to live and work. Making 20mph the default speed limit in residential areas, banning pavement parking wherever possible and making the public transport system of Wales more accessible to disabled people.
The Programme for Government can be accessed here.