Cabinet meeting: 20 January 2025

• Rt Hon 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

• Rachel Garside-Jones, Transition Director Office of the First Minister
• 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
• Wayne David, Special Adviser
• Kevin Brennan, Special Adviser
• Sarah Dickins, Special Adviser
• Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
• Ian Butler, Special Adviser
• Haf Davies, Special Adviser
• Victoria Evans, Special Adviser
• David Hooson, Special Adviser
• Kirsty Keenan, Special Adviser
• Jackie Jones, Special Adviser
• Stephen Jones, Special Adviser
• Philippa Marsden, Special Adviser
• Martha O’Neil, 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, Energy and Transport
• Nia James, Director Legal Services
• Albert Heaney, Director of Social Services and Integration (item 4)
• Taryn Stephens, Deputy Director Social Services Improvement (item 4)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 13 Ionawr 2025 / Cabinet approved the minutes of 13 January 2025.

Water Supply Interruption in Conwy

2.1 The First Minister referred to the recent water supply interruption in Conwy and invited the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales and the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to provide updates, both of whom had been heavily involved in the serious incident.

2.2 The previous Wednesday, Dŵr Cymru had informed the government of a mains water pipe burst near the Bryn Cowlyd Water Treatment Works at Dolgarrog in Conwy. This proved to be a substantial burst, presenting a complex fix in a very challenging location, underneath the Afon Ddu, resulting in a major incident being declared. This had impacted around 40,000 properties, which included care homes.

2.3 The Welsh Government incident response had been stood up on the Wednesday to support Dŵr Cymru and the multi-agency North Wales Strategic Co-ordination Group, led by North Wales Fire and Rescue.

2.4 As part of the Government’s response, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales visited the area and had met with the leader of Conwy Council to discuss the impact of the incident. This included arrangements to provide support to those who had lost water supplies and implications for businesses.

2.5 In addition, the Deputy First Minister had met with the Chief Executive of Dŵr Cymru to be briefed on progress with the repair and provision of water to those who had lost supply. He also stressed the importance of clear messages to the public and to ensure that emergency supplies were accessible to all, specifically the vulnerable. Of note was the fact that the amount of vulnerable people reporting issues was almost double the number Dŵr Cymru had on their records.

2.6 The necessary repairs had been completed and the wider water network was carefully recharged, given the high-water pressure and the extent of the area affected. By Sunday evening almost everybody’s water had been restored.

2.7 It would be important to learn lessons from this event, in a similar way as the exercises that took place following the recent storms, to see what could be improved in terms of early communications, water supply stations and support for the vulnerable.

Cabinet Sub-Committee on North Wales

2.8 The First Minister referred to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on North Wales, which was meeting in the Llandudno Junction office on Thursday.

3.1 Cabinet noted that an oral statement on Water interruption in Conwy had been added to the schedule for Tuesday, after a statement on the Holocaust Memorial Day, resulting in a voting time of around 8pm on Tuesday. Voting time on Wednesday was planned for 6.25pm.

4.1 The Minister for Children and Social Care introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to note the current pressures and future challenges facing social care in Wales and agree that officials should develop longer term sustainable solutions.

4.2 Cabinet approved the paper.

Cabinet Secretariat
January 2025