Cabinet meeting: 9 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

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

Apologies

• Mick Antoniw MS

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Des Clifford, Director Office of the First Minister
• Rebecca Dunn, Head of Cabinet Division
• Toby Mason, Head of Strategic Communications
• 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
• Stuart Evans, Deputy Director Equality and Human Rights
• Rae Cornish, Head of Disability & Gender Policy, and Finance

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion 12 Rhagfyr / Cabinet approved the minutes of 12 December.

2.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary Grid and noted there were no debates scheduled for Tuesday and voting time would be around 6:30pm on Wednesday.

3.1 The Minister for Social Justice introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to agree the actions set out in A Period Proud Wales, the government’s plan to end period poverty and achieve period dignity in Wales.

3.2 The plan supported the Programme for Government commitments to the expansion of free period provision in communities and the private sector, while embedding period dignity in schools. There was an opportunity to work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to achieve a period proud Wales, without the need for legislation.

3.3 The government had been providing funding to local authorities since 2018 to enable schools, further education establishments and community settings to provide free access to period products for learners and those on low incomes. This was initially a drive to eradicate period poverty and had now developed into a broader objective to achieve period dignity across Wales.

3.4 A period dignity round table had been established in 2019 to develop an understanding of the needs of those accessing period products as well as the broader educational and communication needs related to periods. The aim was to remove any stigma and enable a greater understanding of periods by all, thereby, encouraging uptake of products.

3.5 The draft plan had received 250 unique responses to the consultation exercise, which had covered a variety of themes. This had resulted in a number of changes to the plan. The themes had been amended to reflect those of the consultation exercise and the actions related to education had been developed and revised. Work would begin early in the implementation process to develop the ask for educational resources around menstrual wellbeing, to ensure materials reflected the needs of diverse learners across Wales.

3.6 There would be a need to ensure that educational resources were integrated into wider communications materials, this would include a national campaign on period dignity to incorporate education and public awareness. Furthermore, the plan would refer to women, girls and people who menstruate.

3.7 Cabinet welcomed the plan and agreed it was important to address stigma and open up wider conversations around periods, and the potential to target separate audiences.

3.8 Throughout the development of the plan the intersection of the experience of periods and a potential changing of periods with other health issues, such as the menopause and endometriosis, had been considered. The forthcoming Women’s Health Plan, which would be owned by NHS Wales, contained a section on periods, which would need to be considered in conjunction with the plan.

3.9 It was noted that proposals to embed period dignity in schools and support for menstrual well-being was included in the Relationship and Sexual Education Code, as part of the new curriculum.

3.10 Cabinet approved the paper.

Cabinet Secretariat
January 2023