Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023
The Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 (the Act) provides a new statutory framework for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in Wales. The Act establishes the SLM objectives as the overarching framework for agricultural policy, by imposing a duty on the Welsh Ministers to exercise certain functions in the way they consider best contributes to achieving those objectives. The Act also:
- gives the Welsh Ministers a power to provide support for agriculture, and in connection with agriculture;
- provides agricultural tenants with access to arbitration procedures, in certain circumstances;
- changes the way felling licenses operate;
- prohibits the use of snares and glue traps.
The Senedd produced a Bill Summary, which provides a further useful overview of the Act. The Explanatory Notes to the Act also provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.
Coming into force:
Section 56(1), (2) and (3) of the Act provides for a number of sections of the Act to come into force on specified days. The remaining provisions of this Act come into force when the Welsh Ministers make one or more orders, in accordance with section 56(4). The following order has been made:
The Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 1 and Savings Provisions) Order 2023
The Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2024
Subordinate legislation made under the Act:
| Title | Citation number | Made date | Coming into force date | Supporting documents |
| The Wine (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2024 | 2024 No. 83 (W. 23) | 24 January 2024 | 15 July 2024 | Explanatory Memorandum |
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd:
The Bill was introduced by Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd on 26 September 2022 and passed by Senedd Cymru on 27 June 2023. More information about the Act is available on the Senedd’s website, including a record of the passage of the Bill through the Senedd and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (final version).
The Act received Royal Assent on 17 August 2023.