Cabinet meeting: 15 April 2024

• Rt. Hon. Vaughan Gething MS (Chair)
• Rebecca Evans MS
• Lesley Griffiths MS
• Huw Irranca-Davies MS
• Jane Hutt MS
• Julie James MS
• Jeremy Miles MS
• Eluned Morgan MS
• Lynne Neagle MS
• Mick Antoniw MS 
   
• Hannah Blythyn MS
• Dawn Bowden MS
• Jane Bryant MS

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Rachel Garside-Jones, Interim Director Office of the First Minister
• Matthew Hall, Head of Cabinet Division
• Toby Mason, Head of Strategic Communications
• Catrin Sully, Cabinet Office
• Alex Bevan, Special Adviser
• Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
• Sara Faye, Special Adviser
• Sam Hadley, Special Adviser
• David Hooson, Special Adviser
• Phillipa Marsden, Special Adviser
• Maddie Rees, Special Adviser
• Tom Woodward, Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat
• Kathryn Hallett, First Minister’s Office
• Helena Bird, Permanent Secretary’s Office
• Nia James, Interim Director of Legal Services
• Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
• Sioned Evans, Director General, Public Services and Welsh Language Group
• Tim Moss, Chief Operating Officer
• Judith Paget, Director General Health and Social Services
• Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Treasury and Constitution

The First Minister welcomed Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers to his first Cabinet meeting.

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 18 Mawrth / Cabinet approved the minutes of 18 March.

Press conference

2.1 The First Minister informed Cabinet that he had attended his first press conference that morning at Coleg Gwent in Ebbw Vale. The focus of the questions had been around the reduction in spending for museums and the suggestion that the building housing the National Museum in Cardiff could close.

2.2 In the margins of the press conference, the First Minister had met with students who were upbeat and positive about the facilities of Coleg Gwent.

St David’s Awards

2.3 On Thursday the previous week, the First Minister had hosted his first St David’s Awards ceremony at the Royal Welsh College for Music and Drama, which had shone a spotlight on some of the most brilliant and brave people from all over Wales.

Oral Statement: Cabinet priorities

2.4 The First Minister informed Cabinet he would be delivering an Oral Statement to the Senedd the following day on the government’s priorities.

3.1 Cabinet considered the contents of the Plenary Grid and noted that voting time was scheduled for 5pm on Tuesday and around 6:25pm on Wednesday.

3.2 In terms of business on Wednesday, Cabinet recognised the need to vote against the Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill. Not only did the Bill place additional financial burdens on the government and direct resources from its own legislative programme, it was also flawed and unworkable.

4.1 The First Minister introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to prioritise the engagement that would be necessary to identify and support Government priorities.

4.2 After over a decade of austerity, the FM emphasised the need to focus on a core set of priorities if the government is to deliver the positive, progressive change we want to see.

Cabinet Secretariat
April 2024