Cabinet meeting: 17 November 2025

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

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Rachel Garside-Jones, Director Office of the First Minister and Delivery
• Rebecca Dunn, Head of Cabinet Division
• Victoria Jones, Principal Private Secretary First Minister
• Toby Mason, Head of Strategic Communications
• Sinead Gallagher, Deputy Director Cabinet Office
• Luke Young, Special Adviser
• Sarah Dickins, Special Adviser
• Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
• Haf Davies, Special Adviser
• Victoria Evans, Special Adviser
• David Hooson, Special Adviser
• Nadila Hussein, Special Adviser
• Kirsty Keenan, Special Adviser
• Jackie Jones, Special Adviser
• Stephen Jones, Special Adviser
• Philippa Marsden, Special Adviser
• Tal Michael, Special Adviser
• Mary Wimbury, Special Adviser
• Christopher W Morgan, Head of Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat
• Helena Bird, Permanent Secretary’s office
• Carwyn Wycherley, Cabinet Office
• Kath Hallett, First Minister’s office
• Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
• Sioned Evans, Chief Operating Officer
• Andrew Slade, Director General Economy, Energy and Transport
• Judith Paget, Director General Strategy
• Emma Williams, Director General Education, Culture & Welsh Language
• Tracey Breheny, Director Health and Social Care
• Stephanie Evans, Legal Services
• Amelia John, Director, Communities & Social Justice (item 4)
• Claire Germain, Deputy Director, Tackling Poverty & Supporting Families (item 4)
• Jo Maddaford, Deputy Head of Tackling Poverty (item 4)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 3 Tachwedd 2025 / Cabinet approved the minutes of 3 November 2025.

Storm Claudia

2.1 The First Minister thanked the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs for his leadership during Storm Claudia, which had impacted Wales over the weekend, and asked him to provide an update on the situation.

2.2 A significant number of homes and businesses had been flooded in Monmouthshire over the weekend, including those in Monmouth, Skenfrith, and Abergavenny. Flooding had also been reported in other Local Authority Areas, including Rhondda Cynon Taf, Caerphilly, Denbighshire, Torfaen and Powys.  

2.3 The government was continuing to liaise with Local Authorities about the impact of the storm, while they were focusing on clean-up and recovery. In the meantime, officials were considering what emergency capital funding was available to the relevant Local Authorities. It was noted the Prime Minister had also offered support.

2.4 The pre-emptive cross-government and local coordination had led to better preparedness and a higher quality response by emergency responders, risk management authorities, the Fire & Rescue Service, local authorities and Natural Resources Wales. Lessons from previous storms had been implemented and there would be a formal debriefing exercise the following week to ensure the knowledge gathered from the response to this storm was captured and used to enhance future resilience activities.

2.5 There would be an Oral Statement to the Senedd the following day.

2.6 Cabinet welcomed the update.

Wylfa and AI Growth Zone

2.7 Cabinet welcomed the UK government’s announcements about the decision to build the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactor power station at Wylfa on Ynys Môn and the establishment of the North Wales AI Growth Zone. Both projects would ensure that Wales was at the forefront of transformational technological advances and would bring around 3,000 high quality jobs to the region.

2.8 The First Minister, along with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, had been present at Wylfa for the announcement on Thursday the previous week, alongside the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet.

Royal visit

2.9 The First Minister thanked the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs and the Cabinet Secretary for Education for attending The King and Queen during their visit to Taffs Well and Merthyr Tydfil the previous Friday.

UK government announcement about the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners

2.10 It was noted the UK government had announced, the previous week, that the post of Police and Crime Commissioners would be abolished when the current terms end in 2028.

Men’s UEFA European Championship Football Tournament 2028

2.11 Cabinet welcomed the announcement the previous week that Cardiff would host the first match of the Men’s UEFA European Championship Football Tournament of 2028.

3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary Grid and noted that a statement on the impact of Storm Claudia had been added to the schedule for Tuesday. Voting time was scheduled for 7:55pm on Tuesday and would be around 7:10pm on Wednesday.

3.2 It was also noted the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government would be confirming, during her statement on Affordable Housing, that the government was forecast to achieve its target of delivering 20,000 low carbon homes for rent by the end of 2026.

4.1 The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to agree publication of the 2025 Child Poverty Strategy Progress Report. This was in line with the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010, which required a report on progress every 3 years.

4.2 The Lived Experience Report, which included evidence gathered from more than 3000 people and organisations to better understand the situation in Wales, and the independently reviewed evidence-based Child Poverty Strategy Monitoring Framework, would also be published to demonstrate transparent accountability on progress. This was in addition to the regular publication of the broader national milestones and indicators under the Well-Being of Future Generations Act 2015.

4.3 In terms of the challenges, 31% of children in Wales were living in relative income poverty. This was similar to levels in England, but significantly higher than in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Whilst poverty levels had remained relatively stable over the past 10 years, there had been an increase in Wales since the pandemic. Furthermore, the Resolution Foundation Living Standards Outlook of 2025 projected the typical income of a non-pensioner household in 2029-2030 would remain unchanged when compared to 2019-2020.

4.4 It was crucial therefore, that the cross-government momentum on tackling poverty and inequality was maintained and strengthened at every opportunity so that all children, young people and families were able to reach their potential and prosper.

4.5 The report outlined clear objectives, which included reducing costs and maximising incomes for families and creating pathways out of poverty so that children and young people and their families had the opportunity to realise their potential.

4.6 It was important to make clear the government’s activities over the last 3 years, such as the roll-out of free school meals and the School Essentials Grant, to support those living in poverty both in work and out of work.

4.7 Cabinet welcomed the paper and reaffirmed the cross-government commitment to tackling child poverty.

4.8 There was a need to make clear that many of the primary levers and policies to address child poverty were non-devolved. Therefore, there was a need to continue to press the UK government to make the necessary changes, such as abolishing the 2-child benefit cap.

4.9 Cabinet approved the paper. It was noted that the aim was to publish all three documents in early December.

Cabinet Secretariat
November 2025