Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill

A Senedd Member Bill introduced by Sam Rowlands MS who was successful in a legislative ballot on 13 July 2022. The Business Committee has remitted the Bill to the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

A group of school children walking in an autumnal woods.

About the Bill

The purpose of the Bill was to enable all pupils in maintained schools to experience residential outdoor education. The Welsh Ministers would have a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure a course of residential outdoor education is provided once to all pupils in maintained schools, free of charge.

Terms of Reference

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>>> The general principles of the Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill and the need for legislation to deliver the stated policy intention;

>>> Whether there are any unintended consequences arising from the Bill;

>>> Any potential barriers to the implementation of the Bill’s provisions and whether the Bill and accompanying Explanatory Memorandum and Regularly Impact Assessment takes account of them (including commencement and the United Kingdom Internal Market Act);

>>> The financial implications of the Bill (as set out in Part 2 of the Explanatory Memorandum);

>>> The appropriateness of the powers in the Bill for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation (as set out in Chapter 5 of Part 1 of the Explanatory Memorandum);

>>> Matters relating to the competence of the Senedd including compatibility with the European Convention of Human Rights;

>>> The balance between the information contained on the face of the Bill and what is left to subordinate legislation; and

>>> Any matter related to the quality of the legislation.

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Further detail about the Bill (PDF 90KB) can be found in its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum (PDF 1.8MB).

Current Stage

BillStageRejected

A debate on the general principles took place on 17 April 2024. The motion to agree the general principles was not agreed and the Bill was rejected by the Senedd.

Record of Passage in the Welsh Parliament

The following table sets out the dates for each stage of the Bill’s passage through the Senedd.

¬¬¬Stage 1 (24 November 2024 – 17 April 2024)

A debate took place in Plenary on 17 April 2024. The motion to agree the general principles of the Bill was not agreed and the Bill was rejected by the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 26.14.

The Children, Young People and Education Committee agreed the approach to Stage 1 on 29 November 2023.

The Children, Young People and Education Committee laid (PDF 2.93MB) its report on 21 March 2024. The Committee received a response (PDF 235KB) from Sam Rowlands MS, Member-in-charge of the Bill on 15 April 2024.

Oral Evidence Schedule (PDF 54KB)

Bill Summary (PDF 3,2KB)

The consultation closed on 19 January; all responses are available.

In December a series of focus groups took place to gather the views of parents and carers on the Bill proposals, a summary of the findings has been published. (PDF 398KB)

Committee dates

The Children, Young People and Education Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
29 November 2023	Consideration of Approach to Stage 1 Scrutiny (Private)	(Private)	(Private)
06 December 2023	Oral evidence session	Transcript	View meeting
14 December 2023	Oral evidence Sessions	Transcript	View meeting
11 January 2024	Oral evidence Sessions	Transcript	View meeting
24 January 2024	Oral evidence Sessions	Transcript	View meeting
01 February 2024	Oral evidence Sessions	Transcript	View meeting
7 March 2024	Private discussion	(Private)	(Private)

The Children, Young People and Education Committee laid its report (PDF 2.9MB) on 21 March 2024. The Committee received a response (PDF 235KB) from Sam Rowlands MS, Member-in-charge of the Bill on 15 April 2024.

The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
22 January 2024	Evidence Session – Minister for Education and Welsh Language	Transcript	View meeting
5 February 2024	Evidence Session – Sam Rowlands MS, Member in charge	Transcript	View meeting

The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee laid its report (PDF 1.9MB) on 21 March 2024. The Committee received a response (PDF 231KB) from Sam Rowlands MS, Member-in-charge of the Bill on 15 April 2024.

The Finance Committee will consider the Bill on the following dates:

Date and Agenda	Purpose of meeting	Transcript	Senedd.TV
7 February 2024	Evidence Session – Minister for Education and Welsh Language	Transcript	View meeting
22 February 2024	Evidence Session – Sam Rowlands MS, Member in charge	Transcript	View Meeting