Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023

6 Sustainable land management reports

(1) The Welsh Ministers must prepare a report under this section, in relation to each reporting period, setting out their assessment of—

(a) the cumulative progress made, since section 2 came into force, towards achieving the sustainable land management objectives through the exercise of the functions to which the duty in section 2 applies, and

(b) the progress made, during the reporting period, towards achieving those objectives through the exercise of those functions.

(2) The report must set out, in relation to each indicator in the statement (or revised statement) published under section 4—

(a) the progress made in relation to that indicator during the reporting period, and

(b) how that has contributed to achieving the sustainable land management objectives.

(3) The report must also specify, in relation to each target in the statement (or revised statement), whether the target has been achieved during the reporting period.

(4) If a target has been achieved during the reporting period, the report must explain how that has contributed to achieving one or more of the sustainable land management objectives.

(5) If a target has not been achieved during the reporting period, the report must—

(a) explain why, and

(b) set out the steps the Welsh Ministers have taken, or intend to take—

(i) to achieve the target, or

(ii) to set an appropriate new target.

(6) If the Welsh Ministers have not yet been able to determine whether a target has been achieved during the reporting period, the report must—

(a) explain why, and

(b) set out the steps that the Welsh Ministers have taken, or intend to take, in order to determine whether the target has been achieved.

(7) The report may also assess and report on—

(a) any other matters that the Welsh Ministers consider relevant in assessing the progress made towards achieving the sustainable land management objectives;

(b) the key priorities, risks and opportunities in relation to achieving those objectives;

(c) the effect that the progress made towards achieving those objectives is having on achieving other goals and objectives.

(8) The Welsh Ministers must, no later than 12 months after the end of each reporting period—

(a) publish the report that relates to the reporting period, and

(b) lay it before Senedd Cymru.

(9) In this section, the “reporting period” means—

(a) in the case of the first report, the period beginning with the day on which section 2 comes into force and ending with 31 December 2025;

(b) in the case of subsequent reports, successive periods of five years.

(10) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend subsection (9).