Welsh Government Tidies Up Legislation with New Amendments

In an effort to clear up inconsistencies and errors in existing legislation, the Welsh Government has introduced the Amendments to Subordinate Legislation (Minimum Landing Size and Miscellaneous Corrections) (Wales) Order 2025. This Statutory Instrument, which comes into force on August 1, 2025, addresses a range of legislative issues across various sectors including animal gatherings, sea fisheries, and town planning.

Here's a quick overview of the key changes:

1. Animal Gatherings (Fees) Order 2018: The amendment introduces a new Table 1 to fix inconsistencies in fee descriptions for animal sales and collection centres. This aims to streamline the licensing process by ensuring clarity on fees, which vary based on disease risk as assessed by veterinary inspectors.

2. Cockle Fishing Management Order 2024: Several amendments clarify definitions and correct text errors. Notably, it revises the definition of "minimum landing size" for cockles, ensuring fishermen have clear guidelines. Amendments also ensure accurate terminology and improve the clarity of licensing conditions.

3. Town and Country Planning Orders: Changes are made to align terminology with the latest naming conventions, substituting “Natural Resources Wales” with “the Natural Resources Body for Wales” in relevant sections. This helps maintain consistency across regulatory documents.

4. Developments of National Significance Order 2016: Similar terminology updates have been made to reflect the official naming standards, enhancing coherence in legal texts.

The amendments were introduced by the Welsh Ministers to rectify defects in previous instruments, ensuring legislation is both clear and functional. The changes reflect an ongoing commitment to maintaining high standards in legislative drafting, thereby supporting effective governance and compliance.

These updates demonstrate how precise legislative language and consistent terminology are critical for effective policy implementation. The Welsh Government continues to ensure its laws are transparent, accessible, and free from ambiguity.

For more information and to view the full text of the amendments, visit the official UK legislation website.