Cabinet meeting: 17 October 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

• Hannah Blythyn MS
• Julie Morgan MS
• Lynne Neagle MS

Apologies

• Dawn Bowden MS
• Lee Waters MS

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Des Clifford, Director Office of the First Minister
• Toby Mason, Head of 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
• Sam Hadley, 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 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
• Piers Bisson, Director European transition, Constitution and Justice (item 2)
• Jon Oates, Deputy Director Climate Change and Energy Efficiency (item 4)
• Michelle Delafield, Senior Delivery Manager Climate Change Adaptation (item 4)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion 10 Hydref / Cabinet approved the minutes of 10 October.

Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer

2.1 The First Minister referred to the recent statement from the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, where he had reversed most of the tax changes made on 23rd September, in the hope of stabilising the financial markets and reducing the deficit. The UK government’s plans for economic growth were now unclear.

Constitutional lectures 

2.2 The First Minister reminded Cabinet that the first in a series of constitutional lectures was taking place the following evening in the Pierhead Building, the guest speaker was Sir David Lidington.

Wales Ireland Ministerial Forum

2.3 The First Minister informed Cabinet that he, and the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd had attended a series of meetings as part of the Wales Ireland Ministerial Forum in Dublin the previous Thursday.

3.1 There were several changes to the plenary grid since it had been circulated with the Cabinet papers. It was likely that the Marine, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Financial Assistance) Scheme (Wales) Regulations 2022 would be withdrawn and the debate, planned for Tuesday, postponed. In addition, the Minister for Finance and Local Government would be making an oral statement in response to the Chancellor’s statement.

3.2 It was possible that an emergency government debate would be required on Wednesday relating to a LCM on the UK Energy Prices Bill.
 

4.1 The Minister for Climate Change introduced the paper, which asked Ministers to note the progress, since the previous discussion at Cabinet, on taking action to adapt to the impact of climate change.

4.2 Ministers had agreed there should be an increased emphasis on adaptation and mitigation when making policy and investment decisions, as these were crucial interdependent parts of a unified response to climate change. It had also been agreed that departments should contribute to a forthcoming adaptation progress report.

4.3 The previous week the Met Office had published its analysis of the heatwave during the summer, which had broken all records and underlined the significant impact climate change was already having on the UK. The situation would continue to get worse, even in the best-case scenarios, for emissions reduction.

4.4 A progress report on the current national adaptation plan would be issued in the coming weeks, with the next plan due to be published in 2024.

4.5 Cabinet approved the paper.

5.1 The Minister for Finance and Local Government informed Cabinet that she had just had a conversation with the new Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Edward Argar MP. The minister had set out the government’s concerns on the impact of inflation on the Welsh Budget and the need to maintain increased spending to support vulnerable people and businesses.

5.2 The CST indicated that he would engage with the Welsh Government on the range and scope of the review of the Energy Price Guarantee, scheduled for the following April, while the minister stressed the importance of providing certainty for companies and the public sector.

5.3 However, the CST did not provide any clarity on plans for economic growth. The ministers would meet again on Thursday at the regular Financial Inter-ministerial Standing Committee.

Cabinet Secretariat
October 2022