Cabinet meeting: 9 March 2026

• 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
• Ken Skates MS
   
• Dawn Bowden MS
• Vikki Howells MS
• Jack Sargeant MS

Apologies

• Lynne Neagle MS
• Sarah Murphy 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
• Madeleine Brindley, Special Adviser
• Sarah Dickins, 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
• James Oxenham, 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
• Emma Williams, Director General Education, Culture & Welsh Language
• Phil Elkin, Deputy Director Legal Services
• Alex Slade, Director Mental Health, Primary Care & Early Years
• Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury (item 4)
• Tom Nicholls, Chief Economist (item 4)
• Alyson Francis, Director Housing & Regeneration (item 5)
• Katy Hossack, Deputy Director Public Inquiries Unit (item 5)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion 2 Mawrth 2026 / Cabinet approved the minutes of 2 March 2026.

Conflict in the Middle East

2.1 The First Minister referred to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and the impact this was having on Welsh people in the region and the cost of living at home. The government would need to consider what support was available to respond to any immediate challenges, such as those who were off grid and relied on heating oil.

Counter Terrorism Police investigation

2.2 The First Minister informed Cabinet she had issued a Written Statement the previous Thursday in relation to the 3 arrests that took place on Wednesday, as part of a Counter Terrorism Police investigation.

3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary Grid and noted that voting time on Tuesday was expected to take place around 4:40pm. This would be followed by Stage 3 of the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill, with voting throughout. Voting time was scheduled for 7:10pm on Wednesday.

4.1 The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language provided Cabinet with an update on the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Statement, which had been delivered to Parliament the previous week. Alongside the statement, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had provided a new economic and fiscal forecast.

4.2 However, the OBR report had been prepared before the start of the conflict in the Middle East and did not take into account the implications of increased costs of oil. Furthermore, the Statement did not contain any previously unannounced spending or taxation commitments but did include extra funding relating to recent announcements in England, amounting to £555 million over the next 3 years.  

4.3 Of this, £12 million was capital, profiled over three years, as a result of transport funding. There was resource funding in relation to writing off Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) debt in England, which amounted to a one-off allocation of £332 million in 2026-2027, with an extra investment of £197 million in 2028-2029 to support SEND reform.

4.4 There was also additional resource funding relating to Non-Domestic Rates support, which had already been factored into government spending plans.

4.5 Cabinet welcomed the update and recognised it would be for the incoming government to take decisions about funding not yet allocated.

5.1 The First Minister introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve publication of the government’s response to the COVID-19 Inquiry’s Module 2, 2A, 2B and 2C Report, entitled Core Decision-making and Political Governance.

5.2 The report comprised of 19 recommendations, covering scientific and technical advice, identifying those at risk in an emergency, government decision-making, legislation, intergovernmental relations, and communications with the public. The government’s response addressed those 14 recommendations relevant to Wales.

5.3 Officials had worked closely with counterparts within the other governments of the UK and all 4 were planning on publishing their responses that month, before commencement of the pre-election period.

5.4 The Welsh Government response had been divided into themes as set out in the paper.

5.5 Based on ministerial feedback, officials had strengthened the response to recommendation 10 to make clear that decisions relating to devolved matters must be taken by the Welsh Government from the outset, and not by COBR. In addition, the overall response stressed the importance of respecting devolution, and the accountability of Welsh Ministers to the Senedd. There had also been recommendations relating to devolved governments attending SAGE, which had been welcomed.

5.6 The intention was to publish the government response the following Monday in advance of the Statement to the Senedd the following day. There would also be a Senedd debate on the Wednesday of that week on the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee’s examination of the Government response to Module 1.

5.7 It was noted the Inquiry would be publishing the Module 3 healthcare report on 19 March, which would be considered by Cabinet on 23 March.

5.8 Cabinet welcomed the government’s response and stressed the importance of the Inquiry recognising the devolution settlement, particularly given that powers relating to public health emergencies were a matter for the Senedd. It was also important to ensure the Welsh Government had a strong role in relation to UK civil contingencies.

5.9 Cabinet approved the paper.

Cabinet Secretariat
March 2026