The Welsh Government has announced that the Senedd has approved regulations to establish a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Wales, to be implemented from October 2027, and will now progress delivery in partnership with industry, local authorities and other stakeholders, including appointing a Deposit Management Organisation and finalising operational arrangements. The scheme will apply a refundable deposit to drinks containers, which consumers can reclaim by returning empty items to designated collection points, enabling recycling or reuse and reducing litter while keeping materials in circulation. It is intended to complement Wales’ existing high recycling rates by improving recycling outside the home and supporting a transition towards reuse, and will be the only scheme across the UK nations to include glass bottles. The regulations aim to support environmental objectives, including addressing climate and nature challenges, while also enabling economic opportunities linked to green growth, and provide the legislative certainty required to progress implementation, alongside consideration of including reusable containers in the future.

The Welsh Government has announced that the Senedd has approved new regulations to reform the National Health Service (NHS) complaints process in Wales. The changes replace the existing ‘Putting Things Right’ system with a new approach, ‘Listening to People’, which introduces a two-stage complaints resolution process. The first stage focuses on early resolution, while the second stage may involve assessing liability and determining whether redress of up to £50,000 should be offered. Key improvements include: (1) a mandatory offer of listening discussions; (2) clearer communication requirements; (3) active offers of advocacy and legal support for complainants; (4) an increased redress threshold of £50,000; and (5) mandatory checks to ensure concerns are resolved within set timeframes. The reforms are underpinned by four core principles: active listening, proportionate investigation, organisational learning and leadership assurance. NHS Wales Performance and Improvement will lead implementation of the updated process, with oversight from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and Llais.

The Welsh Government has announced that the Senedd has passed the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill. The Bill aims to reform Wales’ homelessness system by prioritising earlier identification and prevention rather than crisis response. Key measures include directing action towards those most at risk of homelessness and implementing a multi-agency response approach that brings Welsh public services together to address the underlying causes and impacts of homelessness. The Bill is intended to provide additional tools to help people secure longer-term housing and to support the Welsh Government’s goal of ending homelessness in Wales.

The Welsh Government has announced that the Senedd has passed new climate and agriculture regulations. The climate regulations set Wales' fourth carbon budget at a 73% reduction in emissions and require the third carbon budget to be met entirely through domestic action. The agriculture regulations, developed over seven years, enable the launch of the Sustainable Farming Scheme in January 2026, intended to provide stability and support for farmers while promoting sustainable land management and food production.

The Welsh Government has published a notice regarding an oral statement delivered to the Senedd by Vikki Howells MS, Minister for Further and Higher Education. The statement, titled 'The Future of Tertiary Education in Wales—Sustainability and Participation', forms part of the Government’s policy development initiatives in the tertiary education sector. Its focus is on enhancing sustainability and increasing student participation, although the substantive content of the ministerial speaking was not included in the published notice.

The Welsh Government has announced that the Senedd has voted to introduce the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Wales) Regulations 2024. These regulations, set to come into force on 1 June 2025, will prohibit the supply, including the free distribution, of single-use vapes in Wales.

The Welsh Government has published its annual report on progress against the 2022-26 violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV) national strategy, alongside the VAWDASV blueprint annual report and national adviser annual report. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice announced £2.4m in additional funding for specialist therapeutic services for sexual violence and abuse survivors, enabling four specialist organisations to expand provision for approximately 2,500 survivors. The government has also awarded £4.2m to Stori Wales for the Cwtch education project to support relationships and sexuality education delivery across Wales. Statutory guidance for developing local VAWDASV strategies will be issued for public consultation, setting expectations for local health boards and authorities in their next strategy round. The announcement coincides with the repeal of presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989, addressing concerns about pro-contact culture silencing children's voices in domestic abuse cases.

The Welsh Government has announced that the Welsh Early Years Minister, Jayne Bryant has announced guidance aimed at creating an anti-racist culture in childcare settings in Wales. The guidance will give childcare settings and staff advice on steps to ensure their childcare provision and environment are anti-racist.

The Welsh Government has announced that applications for the Schools Essentials Grant are now open. The grant can provide up to £200 for school essentials such as uniform, stationery and equipment and is intended to help families on lower incomes and those who qualify for certain benefits with the cost of the school day. Families can claim the grant once per school year per child and all learners in compulsory school years are eligible. The 2024–2025 scheme will close on 31 May 2025.

The Welsh Government has published a statement by Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle MS, on the establishment of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (the Commission) and the dissolution of the Higher Education Function Council for Wales (HEFCW) following the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (TER(W)A 2022). The Commission will oversee the whole tertiary education and research sector including Wales’s higher and further education, schools sixth forms, apprenticeships and research and innovation. A small number of legislative amendments will be made to several pieces of legislation to remove references to the HEFCW, add references to the Commission and make technical amendments in relation to provisions that are being repealed as a consequence of the TER(W)A 2022.

The Welsh Government has announced that the consultation titled ‘A new tribunal system for Wales: white paper’, requesting views on proposals to reform Wales’ devolved tribunals, has ended on 2 October 2023. It has confirmed that responses are currently being reviewed and the outcome will be published in due course.

The Welsh Government has announced the successful conclusion of the 2025–26 tripartite negotiations between the Welsh Government, NHS Wales and Optometry Wales. The agreement includes a contract envelope uplift of approximately £3m, backdated to April 2025, to support the ongoing reform of optometry services. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles MS, stated that the agreement represents an investment in primary care optometry and reaffirms the Welsh Government’s commitment to improving access to high-quality eye care services across Wales.