Title and coming into force

1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the Child Poverty Strategy (Corporate Joint Committees) (Wales) Regulations 2021.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 3 December 2021.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

(a) “ child poverty strategy” means a strategy setting out each of the things specified in section 2(1) of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010;

(b) “ corporate joint committee” means a corporate joint committee established by regulations made under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021;

(c) “ local authority” means a county council or county borough council in Wales;

(d) “ strategy period” means the period to which a child poverty strategy relates.

Strategy period for first and subsequent child poverty strategies

3.—(1) The strategy period for the first child poverty strategy prepared by a corporate joint committee established on or before 1 January 2022 is the period beginning on 1 April 2023 and ending on 31 March 2026.

(2) The strategy period for the first child poverty strategy prepared by a corporate joint committee established after 1 January 2022 is the period—

(a) beginning on the date the strategy is published (see regulation 4(2)), and

(b) ending on 31 March in the third calendar year following the calendar year in which the strategy is published.

(3) The strategy period for subsequent child poverty strategies is the period of three years beginning on 1 April immediately following the end of strategy period for the previous strategy.

Timing of publication of the first and subsequent child poverty strategies

4.—(1) A corporate joint committee established on or before 1 January 2022 must publish its first child poverty strategy on or before 1 April 2023.

(2) A corporate joint committee established after 1 January 2022 must publish its first child poverty strategy no later than 12 months after the date the corporate joint committee is established.

(3) Subsequent strategies must be published on or before the date on which the strategy period for the strategy begins.

Manner of publication of a child poverty strategy

5.—(1) A corporate joint committee must publish a child poverty strategy by placing it on its website on the date that the strategy is published and maintaining the strategy on that website for the duration of the strategy period.

(2) A corporate joint committee must make arrangements to send a copy of any information published under paragraph (1) on request to any member of the public as soon as is reasonably practicable after a copy is requested.

Review of the child poverty strategy

6.—(1) A corporate joint committee must review each of its child poverty strategies before the end of the strategy period for the strategy in question.

(2) A corporate joint committee must prepare a report of such a review and must publish the review report by placing it on its website.

(3) A corporate joint committee must make arrangements to send a copy of any information published under paragraph (2) on request to any member of the public as soon as is reasonably practicable after a copy is requested.

Consultation requirement

7.  Before publishing a child poverty strategy a corporate joint committee must consult the Welsh Ministers, local authorities and other persons it considers appropriate.

Amendment of the Child Poverty Strategy (Wales) Regulations 2011

8.  In regulation 2 of the Child Poverty Strategy (Wales) Regulations 2011( 4), for “or a local authority” substitute “, a local authority or a corporate joint committee established by regulations made under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 (“the Measure”) makes provision about Welsh authorities contributing to the eradication of Child poverty in Wales.

Corporate joint committees established by regulations made under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (“ the Act”) are Welsh authorities for the purpose of the Measure.

These Regulations set out the period of time to which a child poverty strategy prepared by a corporate joint committee relates, when the strategy should be renewed, when and how the strategy should be published and how it can be inspected.

These Regulations also amend the Child Poverty Strategy (Wales) Regulations 2011 by disapplying those Regulations to corporate joint committees.

These Regulations are connected with regulations which established certain corporate joint committees under Part 5 of the Act.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to the regulations which establish corporate joint committees and connected orders and regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared. A copy can be obtained from the Local Government Strategic Finance Division, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.