'Gaping holes' in Well-being of Future Generations Bill

The bill aims to improve the long-term prospects of communities

A law intended to prevent economic and social decline has been left with "gaping holes" after members voted to drop large parts of it.

The assembly's environment committee previously called for the Well-being of Future Generations Bill to be rewritten for the sake of clarity and effectiveness.

Plaid AM Llyr Huws Gruffydd said it had become a "bureaucratic monster".

Ministers said they would push ahead with the proposed legislation.

Opposition party members of the committee voted on Thursday to delete major sections of the bill but rejected new sections to replace them.

'Waste of paper'

Mr Gruffydd said the AMs agreed with the bill's principles and intent but felt "dubious" about they way they were outlined in the bill and how it would work in practice.

"We're left with what could probably be described as an empty cupboard of a bill," he said.

"So we're now looking to the government and the minister to address those gaps ... because without that, really it's just a waste of paper."

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We are committed to putting Wales at the forefront of sustainable development by pushing forward with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Bill."