Statutory Instruments with Clear Reports

23 March 2026

SL(6)791 – The Housing Renewal Grants (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

Procedure: Senedd annulment procedure

These Regulations amend the Housing Renewal Grants Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/2890) (“the 1996 Regulations”), which set out the means test for determining the amount of grant which may be paid by local housing authorities under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. Certain payments which fall within the definition of “access funds” are disregarded as income for the purpose of the means test.

These Regulations amend the 1996 Regulations to provide that payments made by the Welsh Ministers or the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research under section 97(1)(d) or (e) of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 are included in the definition of “access funds” and are therefore disregarded for the purpose of the means test set out in the 1996 Regulations.

Parent Act: Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996

Date Made: 04 March 2026

Date Laid: 05 March 2026

Coming into force date: 01 April 2026

Statutory Instruments with Clear Reports

23 March 2026

SL(6)794 – The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 7, Transitory, Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2026

Procedure: No Procedure

This Order brings into force provisions of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (“the Act”) and makes transitory, transitional and savings provision in connection with the coming into force of certain provisions.

Article 1 makes provision in respect of the title and interpretation of this Order.

Article 2 brings provisions of the Act into force in full on 1 April 2026. Article 2(a) brings section 50 of the Act into force, in so far as it is not already in force. Under section 50(5) and (6), the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (“the Commission”), His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (“the Chief Inspector”) and the body designated under Schedule 3 to the Act to exercise quality assessment functions must, so far as relevant to the exercise of their functions, have regard to a quality assurance framework published under section 50.

Article 4 brings sections 51 to 53 of the Act into force on 1 April 2026 subject to transitory modifications described in article 4(4) and (5). Section 51 of the Act requires the Commission to monitor and promote improvement in the quality of certain tertiary education. Article 2(vv)(ii) brings paragraph 16(1)(d) of Schedule 1 to the Act into force which provides for the Commission’s annual report to give an assessment of the quality of tertiary education that the Commission must monitor under section 51. Section 52 of the Act enables the Commission to provide, or make arrangements for the provision of, advice or other assistance in respect of certain tertiary education or a particular course of tertiary education for the purposes of improving the quality of that education or course or preventing the quality of that education or course from becoming inadequate. Section 53 of the Act enables the Commission to carry out, or arrange for another person to carry out, a review of any matters that it considers relevant to the quality of certain tertiary education or particular courses of tertiary education.

Article 7(1) brings section 57 of the Act into force on 1 April 2026, in so far as it is not already in force, subject to transitional provisions described in article 7(2). Section 57 of the Act requires the Chief Inspector to inspect certain education and training.

Articles 13 to 15 provide for transitional provisions in relation to inspections of the Chief Inspector being carried out immediately before 1 April 2026; the annual report of the Chief Inspector in respect of the period ending with 31 March 2026; and the annual plan of the Chief Inspector in respect of the financial year ending with 31 March 2027.

Article 11(1) brings paragraph 33(2)(a) of Schedule 4 to the Act into force on 1 April 2026 subject to transitional provisions. Article 2(ww)(xliv) brings paragraph 33(2)(c) of Schedule 4 to the Act into force, in so far as it is not already in force and article 12(1) brings paragraph 33(2)(d) into force on 1 April 2026 in so far as it is not already in force subject to transitional provision. Paragraph 33(2)(a), (c) and (d) amends section 10 of the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015. Section 10 of that 2015 Act relates to guidance that may be issued to further and higher education institutions.

Article 16 brings provisions of the Act into force, in full, on 31 July 2026. Article 16(a) brings section 49 of the Act into force which applies where a contract between a provider and a qualifying person undertaking a qualifying course provides for the payment of fees by the person which exceed the applicable fee limit.

Article 18(1) brings section 54 of the Act into force on 31 July 2026 to the extent it is not already in force and subject to a temporary modification to section 54(3). Section 54 requires the Commission to assess, or make arrangements for the assessment of, the quality of higher education provided by registered providers and provided on their behalf. Section 54 also enables the Commission to assess, or make arrangements for the assessment of, the quality of higher education provided in Wales by any tertiary education provider. The Commission must publish a report of such assessments. Article 16(b) provides for section 55 of the Act to come into force. Section 55 requires the governing body of a provider that provides the higher education assessed, or on behalf of which the higher education is provided, to prepare an action plan in response to the Commission’s published report.

Article 20 provides for paragraph 6(5)(b) and (c) of Schedule 4 to the Act to come into force on 31 July 2026 subject to transitory modifications. Paragraph 6(5)(b) of Schedule 4 makes amendments to section 91(5) of the 1992 Act which provides a definition of institutions within the higher education sector for the interpretation of the Education Acts. Section 91(5) of the 1992 Act is amended so that it includes reference to certain providers registered with the Commission. Paragraph 6(5)(c) of Schedule 4 provides for the omission of section 91(5A) of the 1992 Act. Article 17 provides for paragraph 31 of Schedule 4 to the Act to come into force on 31 July 2026 to the extent that it omits paragraph 4 of the Schedule to the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015, which is consequential upon the coming into force of paragraph 6(5)(b) and (c) of Schedule 4 to the Act.

Article 21 provides for paragraphs 13(2)(a) and 19(2)(b) and (3) of Schedule 4 to the Act to come into force on 31 July 2026 subject to transitory modifications. Paragraph 13(2)(a) of Schedule 4 substitutes a new paragraph 7 into Schedule 2A to the Care Standards Act 2000. Paragraph 19(2)(b) and (3) makes amendments to, respectively, Schedules 2 and 3 to the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Act 2006.

Article 22 provides for sections 133 and 134 of the Act to come into force on 1 August 2026. Section 133 provides for the Welsh Ministers to require, by notice, certain information from persons providing admissions services to Welsh higher education providers for use for qualifying research. Section 134 sets out how the Welsh Ministers may use information obtained under section 133 and with whom the information may be shared.

Article 24 provides for section 33 of the Act to come into force on 1 January 2027 in so far as it is not already in force. Section 33(1) requires the Commission to ensure that the ongoing registration conditions of providers registered with the Commission include conditions requiring the delivery of measurable outcomes to further the aims set out in section 33(2).

Article 25(c) provides for section 87(5) of the Act to come into force, in so far as it is not already in force, on 1 April 2027. Section 87(5) lists the Commission’s funding powers that relate to the Commission’s statement of its funding policy to be published under section 87.

Parent Act: Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022

Date Made: 04 March 2026

Date Laid:

Coming into force date: 01 April 2026

Statutory Instruments with Clear Reports

23 March 2026

SL(6)796 – The Inspection of Education and Training (Wales) Regulations 2026

Procedure: Senedd annulment procedure

These Regulations revoke and replace the Inspection of Education and Training (Wales) Regulations 2001, which were made under the Learning and Skills Act 2000.

Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (the “2022 Act”) provides that His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales must carry out inspections in respect of specific education and training and may also carry out area inspections. These Regulations make provision about both forms of inspection.

Regulation 1 provides for the coming into force date of these Regulations and defines the 2022 Act.

Regulation 2 specifies the intervals at which inspections of specific education and training are required.

Regulation 3 specifies the period within which inspection reports are required to be made and published.

Regulation 4 revokes Regulations concerning the inspection of education and training made under the Learning and Skills Act 2000.

Parent Act: Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022

Date Made: 04 March 2026

Date Laid: 06 March 2026

Coming into force date: 01 April 2026