Cabinet meeting: 7 March 2022

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

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

• Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Des Clifford, Director General Office of the First Minister
• Will Whiteley, Deputy Director Cabinet Division
• Toby Mason, Strategic Communications
• Jane Runeckles, Special Adviser
• Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
• Alex Bevan, Special Adviser
• Daniel Butler, Special Adviser
• Ian Butler, Special Adviser
• Kate Edmunds, Special Adviser
• Sara Faye, Special Adviser
• Clare Jenkins, Special Adviser
• Owen John, 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, Education and Public Services
• Reg Kilpatrick, Director General, COVID-19 Crisis Coordination
• Judith Paget, Director General Health
• Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Skills and Natural Resources
• Helen Lentle, Director Legal Services
• Claire Bennett, Director Communities and Tackling Poverty
• Maureen Howell, Deputy Director Prosperous Futures Division
• Steve Vincent, Director Economic Infrastructure
• Robbie Thomas, Head of Business Alignment for Economic Infrastructure
• Ian Taylor, Specialist Policy Adviser Transport

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 28 Chwefror / Cabinet approved the minutes of 28 February.

Invasion of Ukraine

2.1 The First Minister informed Cabinet that the Welsh Government had put in place, with partners, a wide range of support in response to the evolving humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. In addition to the Welsh Government’s donation of £4 million to the Disaster Emergency Committee Appeal, ministers were working with local government and the Third Sector to prepare to accept people fleeing the conflict.

3.1 Cabinet considered the contents of the Plenary grid and noted voting time was scheduled for 7:45pm on Tuesday and around 6:25pm on Wednesday.

4.1 The Deputy Minister for Climate Change introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to note proposals to reform bus services in Wales.

4.2 Buses accounted for 3 out of every 4 public transport journeys in Wales and provided a key lifeline service for approximately 13% of households that did not have a car. The deregulated system did not provide the required levers to better plan and improve the bus network to meet the needs of the public.

4.3 The aim was to create legislation to design a system that would allow the government to maximise the public benefit from the money invested in the bus system. Current networks were designed by operators to maximise their profit from the system, with local government only able to contract services to fill essential gaps.

4.4 National franchising would be introduced to help integrate the public transport network with appropriate timetables, fare structures and through-ticketing. This would also allow the government to take control of the franchise revenue, which could be used to cross-subsidise services between profitable routes and those which need additional funding.

4.5 This would help improve services, make them more attractive and better meet people’s needs, which was a key step in breaking reliance on private cars to drive the level of modal shift required to deliver a Net Zero Wales.

4.6 Cabinet welcomed the paper and agreed the proposed improvements would also help tackle poverty while reducing inequalities. There was a need to ensure that vehicles and facilities were accessible for all and buses were safe for passengers, particularly women.

4.7 Cabinet noted the paper and that the White Paper would be published before the Easter recess.