On Tuesday 16th May the Public Health (Wales) Bill 2016 was passed in the Welsh Senedd. Amongst the components included within it, there is the requirement for HIAs to become a statutory process for Public Bodies in Wales.
Part 6 of the Bill states that broad HIA (considering health and mental wellbeing and inequalities) will become a statutory requirement in Wales for Public Bodies i.e. local authorities; local health boards or Welsh Government in specific circumstances. The Bill will be enacted later this summer.
The specific circumstances and regulations have yet to be determined by Welsh Government (WG). These will be drawn up by WG and consulted on late 2017 and early 2018.
An infographic from Welsh Government is available below which summarises the Bill and its core elements.
Public Health (Wales) Bill 2016 – English Infographic
Public Health (Wales) Bill 2016 – Welsh Infographic
More details are also available at: http://www.senedd.assembly.wales/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=16155.
Source: Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU)