Cabinet meeting: 25 September 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
• Julie Morgan MS
• Lynne Neagle MS
• Lee Waters 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
• Rory Powell, Head of First Minister’s Office
• 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
• David Hooson, Special Adviser
• Clare Jenkins, Special Adviser
• Owen John, Special Adviser
• Phillipa Marsden, Special Adviser
• Tom Woodward, Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat
• Catrin Sully, Cabinet Office
• Kathryn Hallett, First Minister’s Office
• Helena Bird, Permanent Secretary’s Office
• Helen Lentle, Director Legal Services
• Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
• Jo-anne Daniels, Director General, Education Social Justice & Welsh Language
• Reg Kilpatrick, Director General, Covid Recovery and Local Government
• Tim Moss, Chief Operating Officer
• Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Treasury and Constitution
• Nick Wood, Deputy Director General, Health and Social Services
• Duncan Hamer, Director of Operations, Business& Regions (item 3)
• Mike Bacigalupo, Head of Innovation Development (item 3)
• Steffan Bryn, Special Adviser (items 3 and 4)
• Sarah Rhodes, Deputy Director Housing Policy (item 4)
• Hannah Fisher, Head of Homelessness Prevention Legislation (item 4)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 18 Medi / Cabinet approved the minutes of 18 September.

2.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary Grid and noted that no votes were scheduled for Tuesday and voting time was expected to be around 6pm on Wednesday.

3.1 The Minister for Economy introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the new Innovation Strategy Delivery Plan and that it should be published in week commencing 16 October.

3.2 The Delivery Plan followed the publication of Wales Innovates, which set out a vision for a vibrant innovation culture for a stronger, fairer, greener Wales. To achieve this, it highlighted missions in four key areas of society: Education; the Economy; Health and Wellbeing; and Climate and Nature.

3.3 The Delivery Plan had been developed with Plaid Cymru, as part of the Co-operation Agreement, and had been subject to extensive public engagement with stakeholders to test the thinking as part of the development of the strategy. It contained details for each mission on the relevant goals, actions, milestones and measurements, along with specific actions, which the government aimed to achieve over the medium and longer-term.

3.4 It was intended to be a living, dynamic document, with sufficient flex to respond to a challenging political, economic and budgetary landscape. It would also identify different and better opportunities in a rapidly changing funding environment, particularly access to UK budgets, such as the Levelling Up Fund, given the loss of funding from the EU.

3.5 It would be important to bring together innovation leads to work collaboratively across Government and policy areas. In addition, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, and specifically its Research and Innovation Sub-Committee, would have a key contribution with delivery, given its leading role in promoting innovation in Wales.

4.1 The Minister for Climate Change introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to agree the white paper on ending homelessness in Wales and that it should be published on World Homelessness Day on 10 October. 

4.2 The contents of the white paper had been based on the feedback of experts and stakeholders, such as local authorities and registered social landlords, and from the lived experience of over 350 people who had experienced homelessness, including those with protected characteristics, care experienced and those in the secure estate.

4.3 It also built on the previous discussions in Cabinet on the approach to homelessness, where in 2019 the ending homelessness strategy was agreed, which firmly placed homelessness as an all-public service issue, and in 2020 where it was agreed to build on the no-one left out approach and enable wider work on legislative reform to be undertaken. Furthermore, the proposals within the White Paper would continue the significant practice change achieved in response to the pandemic.

4.4 The reform of the law on homelessness was a Programme for Government commitment and part of the Co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru.

4.5 The package of reforms within the white paper would help the government move towards the key strategic aim to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated, with service delivery being trauma informed and person-centred. The reforms were wide ranging and sought to change the entire homelessness system. They would also help to deliver the government’s long-recognised policy that homelessness could not be prevented through housing alone and that all public services and the Third Sector would have a role to play in ending it.

4.6 The white paper set out the vision for the future of homelessness service provision where the vast majority of homelessness was prevented before it happened and where public services worked together to help people stay in their homes. Therefore, it was crucial to work with public service partners to test and scope the proposed reforms. However, they would take some time to refine and then implement but there was confidence that this action would provide part of the long-term solution to end homelessness in Wales.

4.7 Ministers were aware of the current pressures in the housing system and the scale of homelessness in Wales, so in order to move away from a continued costly crisis response, reform was required to ensure the system was fit for the future.

4.8 The proposals in the white paper set out an approach that sustained the achievements to date and long-term solutions. It was not a quick fix, but an evidence based, expert informed package of reforms that transformed the homelessness system. Whilst it was recognised that the current context was challenging, this was the next step of the overall strategy.

4.9 It was important not to limit ambitions for the future of Wales and set in place planning for longer term solutions. To deliver the package of reforms in the white paper would require investment, but this was not quantifiable at this stage. Research indicated that any investment would be outweighed by long term savings and these savings would be felt across the public sector, particularly within health and the criminal justice system.

4.10 Cost modelling would be commissioned through the next phase of work to provide up to date data and a robust assessment of the invest to save opportunities, which would be set out in the final regulatory impact assessment prior to introduction of the legislation. The consultation exercise would also help with the assessment.

4.11 The proposals within the White Paper created an opportunity to prevent the wider disadvantage, trauma and disruption that homelessness could cause. Individual wellbeing and life chances could be improved, while significantly reducing the health risks associated with homelessness. All of these actions would help deliver the goal of a more equal Wales.

4.12 Furthermore, the reforms presented an important opportunity to offer significant, long-term benefits to people and families across Wales and, over the longer term, to lessen the burden on public services and provide those working outside of the housing sector with workable solutions to respond to homelessness amongst their own service users.

4.13 Cabinet welcomed the paper and put on record its thanks to the policy officials that developed the white paper.

4.14 Cabinet approved the paper.

Cabinet Secretariat
September 2023