Welsh Statutory Instruments
Public Health, Wales
Made
at 4.24 p.m. on 14 January 2022
Laid before Senedd Cymru
at 6.30 p.m. on 14 January 2022
Coming into force
15 January 2022
The Welsh Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 45C(1) and (3)(c) and 45P(2) of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984(1).
These Regulations are made in response to the serious and imminent threat to public health which is posed by the incidence and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wales.
The Welsh Ministers consider that restrictions and requirements imposed by these Regulations are proportionate to what they seek to achieve, which is a public health response to that threat.
In accordance with section 45Q(3) of that Act the Welsh Ministers are of the opinion that the instrument does not contain any provision made by virtue of section 45C(3)(c) of the Act which imposes or enables the imposition of a special restriction or requirement, or any other restriction or requirement which has or would have a significant effect on a person’s rights.
1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
(2) These Regulations come into force on 15 January 2022.
2.—(1) The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) Regulations 2020(2) are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 16(1), under the “Step 2” heading, after “Step 3” insert “and Step 4”.
(3) In Schedule 2—
(a)in paragraph 2(6)(j)(i), for “50” substitute “500”;
(b)in paragraph 4—
(i)in sub-paragraph (1)(b), for “50” substitute “500”;
(ii)omit sub-paragraph (2)(l);
(iii)in sub-paragraph (3)(b), for “50” substitute “500”.
Mark Drakeford
First Minister, one of the Welsh Ministers
At 4.24 p.m. on 14 January 2022
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
Part 2A of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 enables the Welsh Ministers, by regulations, to make provision for the purpose of preventing, protecting against, controlling or providing a public health response to the incidence or spread of infection or contamination in Wales.
These Regulations are made in response to the serious and imminent threat to public health which is posed by the incidence and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wales.
These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1609 (W. 335)) (“the principal Regulations”) to provide that, under the Alert Level 2 restrictions in Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations, up to 500 people may be present at an outdoor event. This figure does not include persons working or providing voluntary services at the event. In addition where the event is a team sports event, the principal Regulations treat members of the teams and those providing coaching or otherwise assisting the teams as working at the event.
These Regulations also make a minor amendment to regulation 16 of the principal Regulations which is consequential on the changes made to the principal Regulations by the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 25) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1485 (W. 386)).
The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. In accordance with the Code, a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely cost and benefit of complying with these Regulations has not been carried out, due to the need to put them in place urgently to deal with a serious and imminent threat to public health.
1984 c. 22. Sections 45C and 45P were inserted by section 129 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14). The functions under these sections are conferred on “the appropriate Minister”. Under section 45T(6) of the 1984 Act the appropriate Minister, as respects Wales, is the Welsh Ministers.
S.I. 2020/1609 (W. 335) as amended by S.I. 2020/1610 (W. 336), S.I. 2020/1623 (W. 340), S.I. 2020/1645 (W. 345), S.I. 2021/20 (W. 7), S.I. 2021/46 (W. 10), S.I. 2021/57 (W. 13), S.I. 2021/66 (W. 15), S.I. 2021/95 (W. 26), S.I. 2021/103 (W. 28), S.I. 2021/172 (W. 40), S.I. 2021/210 (W. 52), S.I. 2021/307 (W. 79), S.I. 2021/413 (W. 133), S.I. 2021/502 (W. 150), S.I. 2021/542 (W. 154), S.I. 2021/583 (W. 160), S.I. 2021/668 (W. 169), S.I. 2021/686 (W. 172), S.I. 2021/722 (W. 183), S.I. 2021/862 (W. 201), S.I. 2021/925 (W. 210), S.I. 2021/970 (W. 228), S.I. 2021/1119 (W. 271), S.I. 2021/1131 (W. 274), S.I. 2021/1212 (W. 303), S.I. 2021/1304 (W. 334), S.I. 2021/1363 (W. 358), S.I. 2021/1407 (W. 366), S.I. 2021/1468 (W. 376), S.I. 2021/1477 (W. 379), S.I. 2021/1485 (W. 386) and S.I. 2021/1490 (W. 390).