Cabinet meeting: 1 July 2024

• Rt. Hon. Vaughan Gething MS (Chair) 
• Rebecca Evans MS
• Lesley Griffiths MS 
• Huw Irranca-Davies MS
• Jane Hutt MS 
• Julie James MS 
• Jeremy Miles MS
• Eluned Morgan MS
• Lynne Neagle MS
• Ken Skates MS
• Mick Antoniw MS 
   
• Dawn Bowden MS 
• Jayne Bryant MS 
• Sarah Murphy MS 

Officials

• Rachel Garside-Jones, Interim Director Office of the First Minister 
• Matthew Hall, Head of Cabinet Division 
• Victoria Jones, Principal Private Secretary, First Minister
• Toby Mason, Head of Strategic Communications 
• Catrin Sully, Head of Cabinet Office 
• Alex Bevan, Special Adviser 
• David Hagendyk, Special Adviser 
• Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
• Darren Griffiths, Special Adviser
• Haf Davies, Special Adviser 
• Sara Faye, Special Adviser
• Sam Hadley, Special Adviser     
• David Hooson, Special Adviser
• Phillipa Marsden, Special Adviser
• Owen Jones, Special Adviser  
• Maddie Rees, Special Adviser
• Victoria Solomon, Special Adviser
• Mary Wimbury, Special Adviser 
• Tom Woodward, Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes) 
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat 
• Kathryn Hallett, First Minister’s Office
• Helena Bird, Permanent Secretary’s Office
• Nia James, Director Legal Services 
• Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
• Sioned Evans, Director General, Public Services and Welsh Language Group
• Tim Moss, Chief Operating Officer
• Judith Paget, Director General Health and Social Services  
• Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Treasury and Constitution

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 24 Mehefin  / Cabinet approved the minutes of  24 June.  

Sustainable Farming Scheme update 

2.1 The First Minister invited the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to provide an update on the Sustainable Farming Scheme consultation. 

2.2 The renewed programme of stakeholder engagement on the SFS had commenced, in line with the oral statement of 14^th May.  In addition, officials had now completed the consultation analysis and the aim was to publish it and the Government’s response in week commencing 8 July. 

Tata Steel 

2.3 The First Minister reminded Cabinet that he and the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language had issued a joint written statement, the previous week, in response to the announcement by Tata Steel that it intended to close both blast furnaces at Port Talbot in advance of the industrial action planned by Unite. 

2.4 The Cabinet Secretary informed Cabinet that he had met with the Chief Executive of Tata Steel UK on Thursday to discuss the safety concerns.  Since then, there had then been a series of discussions to avert the early closure, culminating in Tata Steel offering to discuss future investment alongside redundancy terms and Unite calling off the planned industrial action earlier that day. 

Industrial action by the BMA 

2.5 Cabinet noted the three BMA branches of practices, junior doctors, SAS doctors and consultants, had accepted the Government’s revised pay offer for 2023-24 the previous week.

3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary grid and noted that regular voting time would be around 4:50pm on Tuesday, which would be followed by Stage 3 of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill with voting throughout. Voting time was scheduled for 6:40pm on Wednesday.  

4.1 The First Minister introduced the paper, which invited Cabinet to agree publication of the 2023-2024 Annual Report. Cabinet was also asked to review the well-being objectives.

4.2 This was the third annual report of the current Senedd and fulfilled the Government’s statutory duty under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.

4.3 Despite the financial challenges the Government had made progress.  Amongst the achievements: 140,000 new patients had received NHS dental care; 6,900 additional Flying Start places had been provided, with more to follow; and 17,500 people had been supported with temporary accommodation.  In addition, the new Workplace Recycling Regulations had been introduced, building on the achievements in household recycling. 

4.4 It was acknowledged that this was the first year the Social Partnership Council (SPC) had been consulted on the Well-being objectives.

4.5 Cabinet welcomed the paper and put on record its thanks to all those who had been involved in preparing the Annual Report. 

4.6 Cabinet approved the paper and noted the annual report would be published on 9^th July and debated in the Senedd the following week. 

Cabinet Secretariat
July 2024