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Present

  • Rt Hon Eluned Morgan MS (Chair)
  • Huw Irranca-Davies MS
  • Jayne Bryant MS
  • Mark Drakeford MS
  • Rebecca Evans MS
  • Jane Hutt MS
  • Julie James MS
  • Jeremy Miles MS
  • Lynne Neagle MS
  • Ken Skates MS
     
  • Dawn Bowden MS
  • Sarah Murphy MS
  • Vikki Howells MS
  • Jack Sargeant MS

Officials

  • Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
  • Rachel Garside-Jones, Transition Director Office of the First Minister
  • Matthew Hall, Head of Cabinet Division
  • Victoria Jones, Principal Private Secretary, First Minister
  • Toby Mason, Head of Strategic Communications
  • Catrin Sully, Head of Cabinet Office
  • Kevin Brennan, Special Adviser
  • Sarah Dickins, Special Adviser
  • Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
  • Haf Davies, Special Adviser
  • Victoria Evans, Special Adviser
  • David Hooson, Special Adviser
  • Kirsty Keenan, Special Adviser
  • Jackie Jones, Special Adviser
  • Philippa Marsden, Special Adviser
  • Martha O’Neil, Special Adviser
  • Maddie Rees, Special Adviser
  • Victoria Solomon, Special Adviser
  • Mary Wimbury, Special Adviser
  • Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
  • Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat
  • Helena Bird, Permanent Secretary’s Office
  • Kath Hallett, First Minister’s office
  • Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
  • Sioned Evans, Director General, Education, Culture and Welsh Language
  • Tim Moss, Chief Operating Officer
  • Judith Paget, Director General Health and Social Services
  • Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Energy and Transport
  • Nia James, Director Legal Services
  • Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury (item 4)
  • Dean Medcraft, Director Finance (item 4)
  • Emma Watkins, Deputy Director Budget & Government Business (item 4)

Item 1: Introduction and minutes of previous meeting

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 4 Tachwedd / Cabinet approved the minutes of 4 November 2024.

Item 2: First Minister's items

Meeting with the Prime Minister

2.1 The First Minister reflected on her recent meeting with the Prime Minister, where, amongst other matters, they discussed HS2 and the Crown Estate.

COVID-19 Inquiry

2.2 The First Minister informed Cabinet she would be giving evidence to Module 3 of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry on Wednesday of that week.

Deposit Return Scheme for Wales

2.3 The First Minister invited the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to provide an update on the Deposit Return Scheme.

2.4 The Deputy First Minister informed Cabinet he had issued a written statement earlier that afternoon to advise Members the government was withdrawing from the UK-wide return scheme for bottles and cans.

2.5 The UK and Devolved Governments had been working in partnership to initiate a joint process to appoint the Deposit Management Organisation for the respective schemes. However, in the time available it had not been possible to address the issues around the operation of devolution caused by the United Kingdom Internal Market (UKIM) Act 2020. The government would now develop a scheme that supported the transition to reuse for all drinks containers, including those made from glass.

2.6 It was recognised that without changes to the UKIM Act, the 4 Nation approach would put Wales, given its record on recycling rates, at a disadvantage and place additional costs on Local Authorities and recycling companies.

Item 3: Senedd business

3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary grid and noted that voting time was scheduled for 6:20pm on Tuesday and around 6.25pm on Wednesday.

Item 4: Agreement of the Draft Budget 2025-2026

4.1 The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to agree the the Draft Budget 2025-2026 allocations, on the understanding that a small number of issues remained to be resolved. Cabinet was also asked to note the next steps in the process to enable publication on 10 December.

4.2 Cabinet welcomed the paper, the proposed funding increases and the plans not to increase the Welsh rates of incomes tax.

4.3 Cabinet approved the paper, subject to further Ministerial meetings to consider concerns raised.

Cabinet Secretariat
November 2024