The Welsh Government is consulting on the proposed Apprenticeships Specification Cymru (ASC), which would establish requirements for approved Welsh apprenticeships under section 115 of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (TER(W)A 2022). The ASC would replace the current framework under the Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for Wales (SASW) and is intended to apply from 1 August 2027, subject to the consultation outcome and subsequent Ministerial decisions. Responses must be submitted by 4 December 2026.

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation to seek views on proposed amendments to the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme. The intent is to address 'on the go' packaging waste—waste that is either disposed of in public bins or left as litter in Wales. The consultation includes a draft regulatory impact assessment. Its goal is to refine the current pEPR framework so that it more effectively accounts for packaging waste generated outside the home. The consultation will close on 24 April 2026.

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on proposed regulations under the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 concerning determinations of the principal accountable person (PAP), registration of category 1 and 2 buildings with building safety authorities and related fees. The proposals would provide a process for accountable persons to apply jointly to the building safety authority for a determination as to which of them is the PAP where more than one person may meet the relevant statutory criteria, with the authority able to decline to determine the matter where it considers that the issue is better suited to the Residential Property Tribunal. The consultation also sets out proposed registration requirements for category 1 and 2 buildings, including information on building height, storeys, residential units and accountable persons. For category 1 buildings constructed after July 2026 which have gone through the new Gateway 3 process, the proposals would also require confirmation that a partial or full completion certificate is in place. The Welsh Government proposes that specified information from the register, including the building address, category, height, number of storeys and name of the PAP, should be publicly available. It also proposes a £100 fee for PAP determinations by the building safety authority and a £250 fee for applications to register category 1 or 2 buildings. The consultation closes on 18 December 2026.

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on the draft Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which propose amendments to the enforcement section of the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Wales) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/1324. The proposed changes would grant local authority enforcement officers the power to retain seized single-use vapes and dispose of them as waste as directed by SI 2024/1324, reg 12. The consultation closes on 2 June 2025.

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on proposed revisions to the ‘Separate Collection of Waste Materials for Recycling: A Code of Practice for Wales’ to align with planned amendments to the Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/1290. The revised code reflects the amendment requiring non-domestic premises to present small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE) for separate collection from 6 April 2026. Other proposed changes include clarifying that the hospital exemption from separation requirements will expire on 5 April 2026 and removing expanded polypropylene from the list of recyclable materials in Annex 2 of the code. The revised code will be issued under section 45AB of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990) in relation to the separate collection of waste under EPA 1990, s 45AA. The consultation closes on 22 October 2025, and the feedback received will inform the final drafting of both the code revisions and planned amendments to SI 2023/1290.

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation, seeking views on proposed changes to guidance on the preparation of local strategies for tackling Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV). The guidance will be published under section 15 of the VAWDASV Act 2015, placing it on a statutory footing and creating binding duties for bodies under section 17. The changes aim to provide clearer structure for local authorities and health boards preparing strategies, strengthen partnership arrangements, and include templates for needs assessments. The consultation will close on 30 April 2026.

The Welsh Government has announced the establishment of a Marine Nitrates Development Taskforce following Natural Resources Wales (NRW)'s Marine Protected Area condition assessments, published on 25 June 2025, which confirmed that nutrient pollution is contributing to the poor condition of site features in several marine Special Areas of Conservation. These findings have implications for local planning authority (LPA) decisions where development may increase nutrient loads. The Taskforce comprises senior officials from the Welsh Government, local authorities, NRW and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, and aims to identify short-term solutions that can be actioned quickly, while also supporting sustainable medium and long-term solutions. The Welsh Government is providing additional financial support, including over £500,000 to the West Wales Nutrient Management Board and funding of up to £1.5m over three years to assist local authorities in implementing nutrient neutrality measures.

The Welsh Government has announced an expansion of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) scheme, effective from September 2025. The decision involves raising the household income thresholds, which will enable an estimated 3,500 additional learners to access the £40 weekly grant. The decision allows thousands more post-16 learners in colleges and sixth forms to receive financial support. The EMA is a weekly grant of £40 to help eligible 16 to 18-year-olds with education costs. The income threshold for households with one dependent child will rise from £20,817 to £23,400, and for households with two or more dependents, it will increase from £23,077 to £25,974. The Welsh Government views this as part of its commitment to creating a "budget for a brighter future" and enhancing educational opportunities for young people. Minister for further and higher education, Vikki Howells, emphasised that Wales offers the most generous EMA in the UK and that the uplift will support thousands more learners.

The Welsh Government has announced that a mental health support scheme for doctors, free of charge, is to be expanded in order to support and advise all front-line NHS staff in Wales during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The health crisis has led over 2,000 former health and social care professionals to return to work, and 60,000 NHS staff in Wales are expected to receive free support and advice through the scheme. The Welsh Government is also supporting the Health for Health Professionals Wales service via a supplementary £1m contribution, in an effort to employ more psychiatrists and medical advisers, to run additional counselling sessions and to conduct additional PTSD interventions. NHS Wales staff will have access to a confidential helpline run by healthcare professionals, as well as face-to-face counselling sessions, online resources, and self-help tools.

The Welsh Government has announced the extension of funding for two key schemes supporting unpaid carers in Wales for the 2025-26 period. The Short Breaks Scheme will receive £3.5m to provide carers opportunities to take breaks from their responsibilities, including short holidays and leisure activities. The Carers Support Fund will be allocated £1.75m to provide emergency financial assistance to low-income carers for essential items such as food and utility bills.

Eluned Morgan, Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services, has given a statement on the funding and investment for the academic year 2024–2025 of healthcare professionals. For 2024–2025, £283.126 million of funding has been agreed, the same amount of funding at 2023–2024. The Welsh Government will also continue to run programmes to support ethical international recruitment.

The Welsh Government has published a series of guidance notes relating to significant infrastructure projects (SIPs) in Wales: