Cabinet meeting: 9 December 2024
Minutes of a meeting of the Cabinet on 9 December 2024.
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Present
- 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
- 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
- Sinead Gallagher, Deputy Director Cabinet Office
- Kevin Brennan, Special Adviser
- Sarah Dickins, Special Adviser
- Madeleine Brindley, 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
Item 1: Minutes of the previous meeting
1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion y 2 Rhagfyr 2024 / Cabinet approved the minutes of 2 December 2024.
Item 2: First Minister’s Items
Christmas Recess
2.1 The First Minister wished Cabinet a Happy Christmas and suggested that Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers should use recess as an opportunity to take a break after a busy year and to prepare for the intensive term ahead.
British Irish Council
2.2 The First Minister reflected on her attendance, alongside the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, at the British Irish Council meeting in Edinburgh the previous week.
Storm Darragh
2.3 The First Minister invited the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to provide an update on Storm Darragh, which had a significant impact on Wales over the weekend.
2.4 Following the gales and flooding, the primary focus of the response was now on power restoration and support for communities and the vulnerable, which commenced on Sunday morning.
2.5 As of 9am that morning, around 40,000 properties in Wales were still without power, with around 2,400 homes cut off for 48 hours. The overall figure included 15,000 customers who were registered on the priority services register. Power had already been restored for over 500,000 customers in Wales and it was clear that every effort was being made to restore supply. Nevertheless, there were significant numbers still without power over a prolonged period, and this was a cause for concern.
2.6 The Third Sector and Local Authorities were offering support within communities and they had been asked to redouble their efforts to ensure the most vulnerable were supported through this difficult period.
2.7 Strategic Coordination Centre meetings had been held by Dyfed Powys and Gwent Local Resilience Fora (LRF) that morning, and a Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) had been held by the North Wales LRF, with North Wales and Dyfed Powys planning to meet again that day. These response structures would remain stood up due to power supply issues and the impacts they were having on communities and individuals, with other impacts moving into recovery or business as usual.
2.8 The transport networks were largely returning to normal. However, Holyhead port had been closed on Saturday and Sunday due to the extreme high winds and ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead remained cancelled due to storm damage. Stena Line were hoping to get Terminal 5 operational as soon as possible.
2.9 The Met Office were no longer advising specifically on Storm Darragh and had indicated there would be a period of more benign weather for the week. The river flood risk was currently low, with minor river impacts expected on the River Dee that day, the River Wye on Monday and Tuesday, and the River Severn until Wednesday.
2.10 It was noted the First Minister would shortly be writing to MSs, MPs and the WLGA with an update on the situation and there would also be a Written Statement. This communication would reiterate the key messages of thanks to responders and would ask communities to check on vulnerable people within their neighbourhood. There had also been two Emergency Questions tabled and it was likely there would be an Oral Statement to the Senedd the following day.
2.11 Cabinet welcomed the update
Item 3: Senedd Business
3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary grid and noted that voting time was scheduled for 7:15pm on Tuesday and around 6.25pm on Wednesday. However, additional business was expected to be added to the agenda, resulting in a later finish on Tuesday.
Cabinet Secretariat
December 2024