Cabinet meeting: 23 January 2023

• Rt. Hon. Mark Drakeford MS (Chair)
• Rebecca Evans MS
• Vaughan Gething MS
• Lesley Griffiths MS
• Jane Hutt MS
• Julie James MS
• Jeremy Miles MS
• Eluned Morgan MS
• Mick Antoniw MS

• Hannah Blythyn MS
• Dawn Bowden MS
• Lynne Neagle MS
• Julie Morgan MS
• Lee Waters MS

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Des Clifford, Director Office of the First Minister
• Rebecca Dunn, Head of Cabinet Division
• Jane Runeckles, Special Adviser
• Alex Bevan, Special Adviser
• Daniel Butler, Special Adviser
• Ian Butler, Special Adviser
• David Davies, Special Adviser
• Kate Edmunds, Special Adviser
• Sara Faye, Special Adviser
• Sam Hadley, Special Adviser
• Clare Jenkins, Special Adviser
• Owen John, Special Adviser
• Phillipa Marsden, Special Adviser
• Mitch Theaker, Special Adviser
• Tom Woodward, Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat
• Catrin Sully, Cabinet Office
• Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
• Jo-Anne Daniels, Director General Education, Social Justice and Welsh Language
• Reg Kilpatrick, Director General, COVID-19 recovery and Local Government
• Tim Moss, Chief Operating Officer
• Judith Paget, Director General Health and Social Services
• Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Treasury and Constitution
• Helen Lentle, Director Legal Services
• Helen Arthur, Director Workforce and Corporate Business NHS (item 3)
• Stuart Evans, Deputy Director Equalities and Human Rights (item 4)
• Alessandro Ceccarelli, Head of LGBTQ+ Policy (item 4)
• Emily Keoghane, Head of LGBTQ+ Policy (item 4)
• Steffan Bryn, Special Adviser (item 4)
• Emily Edwards, Special Adviser (item 4)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion 16 Ionawr / Cabinet approved the minutes of 16 January.

2.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary Grid and noted that voting time was scheduled for 6.05pm on Tuesday and around 6:25pm on Wednesday.

3.1 The Minister for Health and Social Services provided an update on discussions with Health Trade Unions about pay and the ongoing industrial action.

3.2 There would be further discussions with unions and management later that week.

3.3 The Minister for Education and Welsh Language indicated that both the NEU and NAHT had voted for industrial action, with NASUWT not reaching the required threshold, however the union may re-ballot its members. UCAC had also not met the required threshold and ASCL was in the process of balloting its members. 

3.4 The minister had, with representatives of the WLGA, held discussions with the teaching Trade Unions the previous week, where a one-off payment had been offered. It was agreed that broader discussions would cover non-pay issues.

3.5 The minister would hold a further meeting with Trade Unions and the WLGA on Wednesday.

4.1 The Deputy Minister for Social Partnership introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the revised LGBTQ+ Action Plan and agree that it should be launched in early February as part of LGBT History Month.

4.2 The Programme for Government committed to make Wales the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe, and the LGBTQ+ Action Plan was an important step towards achieving that aim.

4.3 The plan set out the framework for LGBTQ+ policy development across government and the steps that would be taken to strengthen equality for LGBTQ+ people, to challenge discrimination, and to create a society where LGBTQ+ people were safe to live authentically.

4.4 There was an overarching vision to improve the lives and outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. It included a wide range of policy-specific actions relating to human rights, education and seeking to improve safety, housing and access to health and social care, while promoting community cohesion. In particular, through the Action Plan, the Government was committed to defend and promote the rights and dignity of trans and non-binary people, and to make those communities feel welcome and included in Welsh society.

4.5 There had been significant cross-sector engagement, with collaborative working with a wide range of representatives from LGBTQ+ communities and key stakeholders including the Government’s Expert Panel.

4.6 Internally, work across government had been extensive, which included a series of Ministerial bilaterals, with agreement from policy leads to ensure the proposed actions were meaningful, ambitious and achievable. In addition, the proposals had been agreed with the Plaid Cymru Designated Member, as part of the Co-operation Agreement. The resulting Plan was substantial and would have a positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Wales.

4.7 Cabinet welcomed the pioneering action plan and congratulated all those involved in its development.

4.8 Cabinet approved the paper.

Cabinet Secretariat
January 2023