Cabinet meeting: 14 September 2026

• Rt Hon. Rhun ap Iorwerth MS (Chair)
• Sioned Williams MS
• Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
• Anna Brychan MS
• Heledd Fychan MS
• Llŷr Gruffydd MS
• Siân Gwenllian MS
• Rt. Hon. Elin Jones MS
• Adam Price MS
• Dafydd Trystan Davies MS
• Cefin Campbell MS
• Nerys Evans MS
• Mark Hooper MS
• Delyth Jewell MS

Apologies

• Rt Hon. Elfyn Llwyd

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Rachel Garside-Jones, Director Office of the First Minister
• Jo Salway, Director Cabinet Office
• Toby Mason, Director Strategic Communications
• Carwyn Wycherley, Deputy Head of Cabinet Office
• Aled ap Dafydd, Senior Special Adviser
• Elin Roberts, Senior Special Adviser
• Emily Edwards, Senior Special Adviser
• Francess Ifan, Senior Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• James Oxenham, Cabinet Secretariat
• Sinead Gallagher, Deputy Director Cabinet Office and Delivery (item 4)

1.1 The Prif Weinidog welcomed everyone to the first Cabinet meeting of the autumn term.

Wildfires

1.2 As this was the first meeting since the summer recess, the Prif Weinidog put on record the thanks of Cabinet to all the teams across the emergency services, armed forces and communities who were involved in responding to the wildfires, along with those ministers and officials who co-ordinated the response. The Prif Weinidog would be making a statement on wildfires to the Senedd the following day.

The Cardiff Agreement

1.3 The Prif Weinidog advised Cabinet that he and the First Minister of Scotland, had signed the Cardiff Agreement earlier that day. The agreement reflected the strong relationship and practical co-operation already taking place between governments. It provided a clear framework to support and strengthen existing joint working across devolved areas.

2.1 Cabinet noted that week’s Plenary grid.

3.1 The Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language informed Cabinet that the Foundation and Literacy Plan would be published, as part of a statement to the Senedd, the following day. This would respond to Wales’s long term structural underperformance, as illustrated by the recent PISA results.

3.2 The plan was holistic and underpinned by 5 key foundations: parents and carers; early years practitioners; teachers and support staff; leaders; and support partners. The plan called on everyone within the system, those who influence the system, and those who make decisions for the system, to work together to improve opportunities for learners in Wales. This would help drive sustained improvement over the current Senedd.

3.3 The aim was that for the first time indicators would be established to assess progress, and support would be available to schools so that they could set individual targets for learners that would provide challenge while supporting them to make progress. There would be information that would clearly set out what children needed to learn, and when, and also provide support for teachers as they teach and assess.

3.4 The government would work with local authorities to ensure the better sharing of data and information, while creating a stronger system of support, learning and improvement across schools and settings. There would also be support beyond the classroom and this would include actions to improve parental engagement, promote reading at home, while improving access to school libraries.

3.5 Cabinet welcomed the update.

4.1 The First Minister introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the Programme for Government, ‘A New Ambition for Wales’. It included the associated well-being objectives and well-being statement.

4.2 The Programme for Government was a plan for change and built upon the foundations laid during the first 100 days of the administration, reflecting the key priorities of the government. It was deliberately concise, outcomes oriented and designed to drive action across portfolios.

4.3 It also reflected a clear commitment to prioritise, while recognising the limited resources and time available, the political context and the need to focus efforts to deliver as much as possible.

4.4 Not all commitments from the manifesto could be included in the Programme for Government, with some commitments being the responsibility of individual ministers and their departments. As a responsible government, there would be a need to take difficult decisions and prioritise to deliver for the people of Wales.

4.5 The Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and Constitution added that the Programme for Government was built around 6 priority areas. These were:

• cutting waiting lists, and building a health and care service fit for the future
• helping families with the cost of living through affordable, quality childcare
• unleashing the potential of the Welsh economy, and creating good, well-paid jobs
• raising standards in our schools and ensuring the best conditions for learning
• tackling child poverty
• standing up for Wales and demanding fairness from Westminster

4.6 The programme was also based on a determination to work more effectively across portfolios and across government departments to deliver better outcomes for the people of Wales. For example, the Programme highlighted a number of cross-cutting themes, namely prevention, productivity, the climate and nature emergency, and the Welsh language, where it was recognised that there was a need for a more robust and structured action across government to ensure progress.

4.7 The Programme also fulfilled the government’s statutory duty under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 to set well-being objectives. The well-being objectives and the Programme for Government had been integrated within a single framework, so that commitments directly supported the achievement of those objectives. The well-being statement outlined how the government would work collaboratively, plan for the long term, prevent problems from deteriorating, while involving partners and communities and adopting an integrated approach to delivery.

4.8 Cabinet approved the paper and noted that the Programme for Government would be published on 22 September.

Cabinet Secretariat
September 2026