Cabinet meeting: 26 January 2026

• 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
• Kath Hallett, First Minister’s Office
• Tracey Burke, Director General Climate Change & Rural Affairs
• Sioned Evans, Chief Operating Officer
• Judith Paget, Director General Strategy
• Andrew Slade, Director General Economy, Energy and Transport
• Nick Wood, Deputy Director General Health
• Emma Williams, Director General Education, Culture & Welsh Language
• Neil Buffin, Deputy Director Legal Services

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion 19 Ionawr 2026 / Cabinet approved the minutes of 19 January 2026.

Institute for Government

2.1 The First Minister informed Cabinet that she had delivered a speech to the Institute for Government in London, the previous Thursday. The focus had been the upcoming Senedd election and the future of devolution.

UK government Police Reform White Paper

2.2 The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip was invited to provide an update on the UK government’s White Paper on Police Reform, which was due to be published later that afternoon.

2.3 The Cabinet Secretary had a constructive discussion with the Minister of State for Policing and Crime on Saturday. There would be plans for a new National Police Service to focus on serious and complex crimes. This would bring together the work of existing agencies such as the National Crime Agency and regional organised crime units under the same organisation.

2.4 The announcement would include plans for an independent review of the proposals to merge police forces, and the Welsh Government would be involved in that review to preserve the distinct nature of Wales and ensure no single regional police force should operate across both sides of the border.

2.5 The government would also be engaged on the future of police governance arrangements, given the proposals to abolish the Police and Crime Commissioners from 2028. The Cabinet Secretary would be issuing a written statement the following day, outlining the government’s initial response to the white paper.

3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary Grid and noted that voting time would be around 7:05pm on Tuesday and around 6:25pm on Wednesday.

Cabinet Secretariat
January 2026