The Welsh government has published new planning guidance titled ‘Guidance on The Town and Country Planning (Flood Risk Area Development) (Notification) (Wales) Direction 2025 (WGC 002/2025)’ to better protect communities from flooding. The guidance helps planners assess flood risks from various sources and provides advice on adapting to and living with flood risk. It emphasises the increasing frequency and severity of flooding due to climate change and introduces a risk-based approach using the Flood Map for Planning. Additionally, the revised Technical Advice Note 15 (TAN 15) supplements policies in Planning Policy Wales and Future Wales, focusing on reducing flood risk and developing away from high-risk areas. The new guidance is effective on 1 April 2025, with a transitional period for ongoing applications.

The Welsh Government has issued a written statement by Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS, announcing that following consideration, the Welsh Government has decided to table a motion to withdraw the Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Billl from further Senedd consideration, which will be debated and voted on in plenary on 24 September 2024.

The Welsh Government has issued a statement on the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill, confirming that it has been laid before the Senedd on 15 July 2024. The Bill aims to provide a statutory basis for the target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050; establish a standard means of describing Welsh language ability; designate statutory language categories for schools; link linguistic planning at a national, local authority and school level and, lastly, establish the National Institute for Learning Welsh as a statutory body to support people learning Welsh.

The Welsh Government has published a statement by Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution & Cabinet Office (FCCO), Rebecca Evans MS, on publication of the summary of responses to the Welsh Government’s consultation on potential technical changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. The consultation ran from 12 March until 6 June 2024.

The Welsh Government has issued two further guidance documents to provide technical guidance and help with interpretation of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA 2023). These documents should be read in conjunction with PA 2023 and its associated regulations. The guidance documents include the legal framework, what has changed, key points and policy intent and relevant guidance.

The Welsh Government has announced the launch of the Green Homes Wales pilot scheme, aimed at assisting households across Wales in implementing energy and carbon-saving measures to reduce energy consumption and energy bills. Through this scheme, homeowners in Wales can access interest-free loans to decarbonise and improve the energy-efficiency of their homes.

The Welsh Government has launched the Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR). Welsh Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, has stated that the SUSR aims to streamline the review process following loss of life or significant harm due to abuse, neglect, or violence. Instead of multiple separate reviews, SUSR will provide a single comprehensive examination. The SUSR process will be reviewed after 12 months to ensure that any changes required to improve the process further are made.

The Welsh Government has announced the Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant, which will provide funding from 1 October 2026 to support leaseholders in eligible buildings with the cost of alarm systems required as an interim measure while building safety remediation works are carried out. The grant forms part of the Welsh Building Safety Fund and is intended to reduce or remove the need for waking watch arrangements and the associated costs. Leaseholders who have already paid for the installation of interim alarm systems in eligible buildings may also be able to apply for reimbursement. The funding is intended to support alarm systems needed to facilitate a simultaneous evacuation policy while remediation work is completed. The announcement was made alongside an update on the Building Safety Remediation Programme. The Welsh Government also indicated that it intends to lay regulations under the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 before the Christmas recess, with a view to bringing additional leaseholder protections relating to remediation into force in 2027.

The Welsh Government announced the commencement of accessible voting trials in Wales, in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Cymru. This initiative, backed by £25,000 in funding, aims to address the challenges faced by disabled voters, particularly those with visual impairments, in exercising their right to vote independently and in secret. The trials, which began in Cardiff and will extend to Wrexham, are evaluating various solutions including tactile voting devices, audio assistance and a mock telephone ballot information line. These efforts are in response to an RNIB report highlighting that only 25% of blind people felt the current system allowed for independent and secret voting. The Welsh Government intends to expand these trials over the next year to explore solutions for voters with other accessibility needs, demonstrating a commitment to inclusive electoral practices ahead of the 2026 Senedd Election.

The Welsh Government has announced the opening of applications for the 'Cynllun Pontio' programme, a scheme designed to increase the number of Welsh-speaking teachers in secondary schools. The programme, which has been running since 2020, targets Welsh speakers currently teaching in primary schools, teachers from outside Wales and those who have been out of the profession for five or more years. Applications will be accepted from 10 February to 2 March 2025. This initiative is part of a broader £8m investment by the Welsh Government to develop Welsh language skills among educators and increase the number of Welsh medium teachers and teaching assistants, in line with the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill.

The Welsh Government has announced the launch of automatic voter registration pilots under the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024. Four local authorities Carmarthenshire, Powys, Gwynedd and Newport will test different approaches to automatic registration using council-held data. The pilots include a 60 day response period for potential electors and privacy safeguards excluding automatically registered voters from the open register. The Electoral Commission will evaluate the pilots by the end of 2025, with findings informing potential nationwide implementation requiring further legislation.

Welsh Government launches call for evidence on the future of tertiary education in Wales. The Welsh Government has launched a call for evidence in response to the 'Future of tertiary education in Wales' paper setting out the current evidence base on the key structural challenges facing tertiary education in Wales. It is aimed at gathering insight from stakeholders on the future of tertiary education in Wales, identifying key challenges facing post-16 education and skills and informing future policy development. The initiative invites evidence and views from educators, learners, employers and other interested parties. The call for evidence will run from 21 January 2026 to 27 March 2026.