Cabinet meeting: 30 September 2024

• Eluned Morgan MS (Chair)
• Huw Irranca-Davies MS
• Jayne Bryant MS
• Mark Drakeford MS
• Rebecca Evans MS
• Jane Hutt MS
• Julie James MS
• Jeremy Miles MS
• Lynne Neagle MS
• Ken Skates MS
   
• Dawn Bowden MS
• Sarah Murphy MS
• Vikki Howells MS
• Jack Sargeant MS

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Rachel Garside-Jones, Transition 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
• Kevin Brennan, Special Adviser
• Sarah Dickins, Special Adviser
• Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
• Haf Davies, Special Adviser
• Victoria Evans, Special Adviser
• Sam Hadley, Special Adviser
• David Hooson, Special Adviser
• Kirsty Keenan, Special Adviser
• Philippa Marsden, Special Adviser
• Maddie Rees, Special Adviser
• Victoria Solomon, Special Adviser
• Mary Wimbury, Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat
• Helena Bird, Permanent Secretary’s Office
• Kath Hallett, First Minister’s office
• Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
• Sioned Evans, Director General, Education, Culture and Welsh Language
• Tim Moss, Chief Operating Officer
• Judith Paget, Director General Health and Social Services
• Andrew Slade, Director General, Economy, Treasury and Constitution
• Diane Dunning, Deputy Director Legal Services
• Bekah Cioffi, Deputy Director for Climate Change & Energy Efficiency (item 4)
• Lindsey Bromwell, Head of Public Sector Decarbonisation (item 4)
• Emma Williams, Director Housing and Regeneration (item 5)
• Sarah Rhodes, Deputy Director Housing Policy (item 5)
• Joanna Valentine, Deputy Director Regulation & Strategy (item 5)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 24 Medi / Cabinet approved the minutes of 24 September.

Tata Steel

2.1 The First Minister referred to end of blast furnace steel making at Port Talbot, with Tata Steel’s move to Electric Arc steelmaking, and the impact this would have on the communities and wider supply chain. There was a need to continue to support all those affected during this difficult period and help rebuild communities. It was also important to signpost people to the mental health support services that were available.

North Wales Medical School

2.2 The First Minister informed Cabinet that she, along with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales would be attending the opening of the North Wales Medical School later that week. The First Minister would also be undertaking a series of visits in the area.

3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary grid and noted there were no votes scheduled for Tuesday and voting time would be around 6.25pm on Wednesday.

4.1 The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the approach to develop a framework to track impact and delivery.

4.2 Climate change had an impact on each and every policy area of the Welsh Government and there was only a narrow window of opportunity to prepare for the future. For example, almost a quarter of a million homes in Wales were at risk of flooding or coastal erosion. Farmers were trying to cope with increased flooding, older people were suffering in hotter weather while nature was enduring changing weather patterns.

4.3 Furthermore, the negative impacts of climate change were likely to be felt most by those on low incomes, who were less likely to have the means to make changes to their work and living arrangements, to adapt their homes, or to have household insurance to cover the costs arising from storm damage and flooding.

4.4 The strategy was a vital guide for the government and partner organisations on how to respond to the future challenges.

4.5 There were also opportunities. Drier summers could be good for tourism, while food producers could grow new types of crops. Climate change adaptation could also help create the green jobs of the future.

4.6 Wales as a world leader in climate change adaptation had been recognised during the recent Climate Week in New York, and this had also influenced the UK government when agreeing to join 70 other countries to endorse the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships for Climate Action.

4.7 Cabinet welcomed the Strategy, particularly the emphasis on social justice and the links to requirements set out in the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

4.8 Cabinet approved the paper.

5.1 The Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the white paper on adequate housing and fair rents and that it should be published for consultation in week commencing 21st October.

5.2 There had previously been a green paper call for evidence, which sought to better understand the rental market in Wales and approaches required to achieve adequate housing. The consultation closed in the middle of September with 371 responses. The Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee had also conducted its own Inquiry into the Right to Adequate Housing and both pieces of work had informed the white paper.

5.3 The white paper had therefore struck a careful balance between setting out potential policy and legislative proposals for the future on how to achieve housing adequacy, fair rents and affordability.

5.4 The white paper also set out the range of measures both legislative, policy and financial, that the government was already taking forward to achieve the various aspects of housing adequacy. In this context, the efforts to reform homelessness legislation and to deliver 20,000 additional homes for the social sector were fundamental steps towards delivering housing adequacy.

5.5 The White Paper had been divided into 2 key sections, one focused on achieving housing adequacy, with the other addressing fair rents and affordability in the private sector.

5.6 The white paper suggested using the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ 7 criteria for housing adequacy and applying these measures to inform the production of a future Housing Strategy.

5.7 Although the paper outlined the potential for future legislation for a duty to produce a strategy and extending that duty to partners it did not propose enshrining into law a specific right to adequate housing at this point.

5.8 The fair rents section of the white paper was focused on the private rented sector and the proposed interventions sought to improve affordability, habitability and accessibility.

5.9 However, the White Paper did include proposals to improve access to the private sector, specifically in relation to developing proposals in respect of Land Transaction Tax, aimed at increasing the supply of suitable housing through increased incentivisation for landlords to sign up to Leasing Scheme Wales.

5.10 Cabinet welcomed the white paper.

5.11 It was recognised that offering additional incentives for those private sector landlords who joined Leasing Scheme Wales should improve the supply of affordable rented properties for low-income households and people living in poverty.

5.12 Cabinet approved the paper

Cabinet Secretariat
September 2024