Lee Waters MS Deputy Minister for Climate Change

Lee Waters is the Member of the Senedd for the Llanelli constituency. He was born and raised in Carmarthenshire. He was educated in Brynamman and Ammanford and gained a Degree in Politics from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

His policy interests are wide-ranging, including the economy, climate change, provision for looked after children, digital policy and the media.

Before being elected in May 2016, Lee was Director of Wales's leading independent think-tank, the Institute of Welsh Affairs. He previously ran the sustainable transport charity Sustrans Cymru where he led the campaign for the Active Travel Act. He is a former Chief Political Correspondent of ITV Wales and BBC Wales producer.

On 13 December 2018 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport. Lee was appointed Deputy Minister for Climate Change on 13 May 2021.

• The housing and housing-related activities of local authorities and housing associations, including housing management and the allocation of social and affordable housing
• Supply and quality of market, social and affordable housing
• Second homes
• Homelessness and housing advice
• Matters relating to housing provided by the private rented sector, including regulation of registered social landlords
• Aids and adaptations, including Disabled Facilities Grants and Physical Adaptation Grants
• The provision of housing-related support (but not the payment of Housing Benefit)
• The regulation of commercial tenancies let by Local Authorities
• National Infrastructure Commission
• Oversight and implementation of the Planning Acts and all aspects of planning policy and the determination of called-in planning applications and appeals
• Planning gain – Section 106 Agreements contained in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
• Developments of National Significance: determination of planning applications and connected consents
• Building regulations
• Future Wales: the national plan 2040
• Regeneration, including Strategic Regeneration Areas; legacy regeneration; Transforming Town Centres and provision of sites and premises, derelict land and environmental improvements relating to regeneration 
• Transport for Wales
• Transport policy
• Roads, including construction, improvement and maintenance of motorways and trunk roads
• Bus services
• Rail services through the Wales and Borders franchise
• Arms-length oversight of Cardiff Airport
• Active travel
• Road safety; safer routes to schools; transport for children and young people; regulation of pedestrian crossings and on-street parking
• Marine and freshwater planning, biodiversity, conservation and licensing
• Best and most versatile land policy, mineral site restoration advice and Agricultural Land Classification and implementation of the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations 
• Energy policy including small-medium scale energy production, domestic energy, energy efficiency
• Renewable energy
• Climate change, emission reduction targets and carbon budgets
• Natural Resources Management, including oversight and implementation of the Environment (Wales) Act and Natural Resources Wales
• Cross-cutting measures of mitigation and adaptation in relation to climate change, including water; land drainage; flood and coastal risk; and control of marine and air pollution
• Water
• Forestry policy and legislation, including re-stocking, tree health and forest reproductive material
• National Forest
• Biodiversity policy, including the implementation of the Nature Recovery Plan
• Sustainable resource and waste management
• Local environment quality, including litter, fly-tipping and Deposit Return Scheme
• National Parks
• Local environment quality; Noise policy and regulation
• Strategic lead on allotments and urban green infrastructure
• Community Green Spaces
• Access to the countryside, coast, rights of way and waterways/bodies of water
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty