Rural communities placed at the heart of Welsh Government
Cymunedau gwledig wrth galon Llywodraeth Cymru
- White Paper published on issues and challenges facing rural Wales, action on climate change, sustainability and environmental protections.
- Around one in three people in Wales live in rural areas facing higher costs, lower pay and unequal access to services
- Proposals are designed to support thriving rural communities, businesses and public services
Consultation opens today – 22 July – on plans for landmark new law to guarantee that the needs of rural communities in Wales are considered and accounted for in decisions taken by government and public authorities in Wales.
The new proposals published today would require Ministers, as well as local authorities, health boards and other public authorities, to consider rural needs from the outset when designing policies and delivering services.
The changes form part of a wider consultation on measures that will also strengthen environmental protections, promote sustainable use of natural resources, and support the developing Climate and Nature Action Plan.
As much as 80% of Wales is rural and around a third of the population lives in rural areas, where people often face higher costs, lower incomes, worse transport connections, patchy internet and unequal access to services, including in health and education.
The changes could mean better and easier access to public services for people living in rural Wales. The proposals form part of the new Government's legislative programme, honouring one of the First 100 Day Commitments and the election promise to lead a government for the whole of Wales.
Meeting at the Royal Welsh Show, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd, and Northern Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir discussed what can be learned from nearly a decade of the Rural Needs Act, which has been in force in Northern Ireland since 2017.
Speaking from the showground, the Minister said:
“People living in rural Wales know what works for their individual communities, and we are taking action to ensure that their voices are heard.
“This new law would ensure that when important decisions are made, the needs of rural communities are considered, not as an afterthought, but at the forefront of decision-making.
“Meeting my counterpart from Stormont this week reminds us that we don't have to start from scratch; Northern Ireland has shown this works, and we will develop a policy that is made in Wales and works for Wales.”
Northern Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir said:
“I welcome the opportunity to discuss rural proofing with Ministers from other parts of the UK and to share learning from Northern Ireland’s experience of the Rural Needs Act.
“As we develop our new rural policy, engagement of this kind is valuable in helping us learn from others and ensure rural needs remain at the heart of decision-making.”
The consultation opens today. Have your say here.
Notes to editors
- IMAGE: Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd and Northern Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, meet at the Royal Welsh Show 20.07.26
- The rural proofing proposals form part of a White Paper, published on 22 July 2026.
- Link(s) for the White Paper will be live from 22 July 2026. ENG CYM
- The White Paper also includes Climate and environmental sustainability proposals which support the Climate and Nature Action Plan and broader delivery on climate change, nature recovery, woodland protection, waste management improvements, environmental enforcement and the sustainable use of natural resources.
- The First Minister made a statement to the Senedd on 14 July 2026 setting out the Welsh Government's legislative programme. He said: “We also intend to develop a statutory duty on rural proofing, to ensure rural needs are considered consistently when policies are developed and delivered. I made a promise to lead a government for the whole of Wales and this long-overdue change honours that.”
- The Welsh Government committed in its First 100 Days to: “Bring forward proposals for a new statutory duty on rural proofing, to ensure that Welsh Government programmes and funding models are fully responsive to the needs of rural communities.”
- The proposed Welsh duty would apply to Welsh Ministers and a wide range of devolved public authorities so far as they exercise functions in Wales. The full proposed list:
o Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
o Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
o Bridgend County Borough Council
o Caerphilly County Borough Council
o Carmarthenshire County Council
o Ceredigion County Council
o City and County of Swansea
o City of Cardiff Council
o Conwy County Borough Council
o Denbighshire County Council
o Flintshire County Borough Council
o Cyngor Gwynedd Council
o Isle of Anglesey County Council
o Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
o Monmouthshire County Council
o Neath Port Talbot Council
o Newport City Council
o Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
o Pembrokeshire County Council
o Powys County Council
o Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
o Eryri National Park
o Torfaen County Borough Council
o Vale of Glamorgan Council
o Wrexham County Borough Council
o Albion Water
o Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
o Hafren Dyfrdwy
o Natural Resources Wales
o Transport for Wales
o Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
o Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
o Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
o Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
o Hywel Dda University Health Board
o Powys Teaching Health Board
o Swansea Bay University Health Board
o Velindre University NHS Trust
o Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust
o Public Health Wales NHS Trust
o Health Education and Improvement Wales
o NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee
o NHS Wales Performance and Improvement (NHS Executive)
o NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
o Digital Health and Care Wales
o Social Care Wales
o Llais
o Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales
o Arts Council of Wales
o Cadw
o Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
o Sport Wales
o Medr: The Commission for Tertiary Education and Research
o Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority
o North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority
o South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority
o Qualifications Wales
o Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru
o Welsh Revenue Authority