Learning from Wales’ Future Generations Commissioner

With a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill on the horizon in Scotland, this paper provides an overview of the key learning from the visit from Ms Howe, along with answers to some of the questions about what this kind of legislation would look like in practice. During the visit, we heard from Ms Howe about how the Welsh Act sets out the ways in which Welsh public bodies must work to achieve the wellbeing goals set out in the legislation.

The report considers how from a Scottish perspective, the 5 ways of working (long-term, integration, involvement, collaboration and prevention) are not dissimilar from the approach articulated within the Christie Commission on the future delivery of public services (prevention, performance, public participation and partnership).

In taking a wellbeing bill forward, it is clear that Scotland would have an invaluable opportunity to learn from the successful experience of a Future Generations Act and Commissioner in Wales, and to use this to develop world-leading legislation that gives Government and public bodies the tools to put the wellbeing of citizens, now and in the future, at the heart of their decisions.