Cabinet meeting: 9 February 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
• Lynne Neagle MS
• Ken Skates 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
• 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
• Katie Mason, 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
• Jacqueline Totterdell, Director General Health
• Emma Williams, Director General Education, Culture & Welsh Language
• Nicola Williams, Director Director Legal Services
• Dean Medcraft, Director Finance (item 4)
• Sharon Bounds, Deputy Director Financial Controls
• Sian Gill, Head of Budgetary Control & Financial Policy (item 4)
• Christopher Warner, Deputy Director, School Practitioner Division (item 5)
• Awen Penri, Workforce Plan Lead Education (item 5)
• Thomas Smithson, Deputy Director Economic Strategy & Regulation (item 6)
• Nadine Young, Head of Regional Investment (item 6)

1.1 Cymeradwyodd y Cabinet gofnodion 2 Chwefror 2026 / Cabinet approved the minutes of 2 February 2026.

Critical incident at school in Pembrokeshire

2.1 The First Minister referred to the critical incident that had been declared at Milford Haven Comprehensive School the previous Thursday, following reports of an assault on a teacher by a pupil brandishing a weapon.

3.1 Cabinet considered the Plenary Grid and noted that voting time on Tuesday was expected to take place around 5:15pm. This would be followed by Stage 3 of the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill. Voting time was scheduled for 6:20pm on Wednesday.

4.1 The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the Second Supplementary Budget 2025-2026.

4.2 The resources available increased by £428 million in this supplementary budget. The funding comprises £371 million in revenue resource; £53 million general capital; and £4 million financial (FTC) transactions.

4.3 MEG spending plans would increase by £3.17 billion. This was mostly due to an uplift in the non-cash budget as a result of changes to the Student Loans Model, which amounted to almost £2.5 billion.

4.4 A number of key allocations had been made as a result of this budget, including £126 million for the impact of the public sector pay awards, this was in addition to the £220 million awarded earlier in the year to offset increases in employer National Insurance contributions. These had been baselined into the 2026-2027 allocations.

4.5 There was £200 million for the Health and Social Care MEG to support NHS front line services, to help reduce waiting times and improve diagnostics and there was a general capital allocation to the Transport MEG of £72.2 million to help decarbonise the train fleet.

4.6 In addition, the budget outlined an extra £60.5 million of capital for the Education MEG. This included the £20 million allocation made earlier in the year to support repairs and maintenance costs in schools and FE.

4.7 Cabinet approved the paper.

5.1 The Cabinet Secretary for Education introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the Strategic Education Workforce Plan for Schools.

5.2 A strong, confident, and well supported workforce was fundamental in raising standards across schools, while enabling every learner in Wales to thrive and reach their full potential. Teachers, leaders, teaching assistants, support staff, and the specialist professionals who work alongside them, shape the life chances of children and young people every single day. Their commitment, professionalism and compassion were central to the education system.

5.3 Wales had an exceptional workforce, however, there was a need to confront the persistent challenges they faced, while delivering the Government’s education priorities.

5.4 The Workforce Plan set out a comprehensive range of actions to support the current and future workforce, while addressing the range of factors affecting recruitment and retention of teachers, leaders and support staff.

5.5 Increasing workload pressures were impacting time and opportunities to participate in professional learning and to undertake relevant planning and administrative tasks. The increasing complex health needs of learners, and changes in society’s expectations of what schools should do, was also having an impact. It was important to better promote the profession as a career that offered numerous opportunities for individuals.

5.6 The plan also reflected the recommendations of the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee’s report on Teacher Recruitment and Retention.

5.7 The plan had been developed with key partners, including local authorities and education workforce Trade Unions, to focus on actions that needed to be taken collectively to improve conditions for staff.

5.8 The government had engaged extensively with practitioners from the education workforce. A total of 30 focus groups had taken place, both online and in-person, as part of the engagement work with the teaching workforce. These had provided the practitioners with opportunities to discuss a range of topics, including issues in their day-to-day work, flexible working and wellbeing.

5.9 Alongside the focus groups, a total of 520 responses had been received to an online survey completed by school practitioners. In addition, the views of 36 individuals working in the specialist workforce, including specialist teachers, educational psychologists, Inclusion Officers and rehabilitation professionals had been taken into account.

5.10 Cabinet welcomed the paper, and specifically the principles within the plan, where all practitioners would need to understand the central importance of Welsh Language and Culture and be drawn from all the diverse areas they served, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

5.11 Cabinet approved the paper and noted the Plan would be published during week commencing 16th March.

6.1 The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to note the key findings from the 6-week public consultation and agree the Draft Investment Plan for the Local Growth Fund (LGF) ahead of its submission to the UK government.

6.2 The LGF in Wales replaced, in part, post EU-funding, with decision making on the fund returning to the Welsh Government. The UK government had confirmed £547 million would be made available over three years from April 2026.

6.3 However, a key delivery challenge would be the UK government’s insistence that there would be 70-30 capital-revenue split and the 3-year spending window. Despite representations to UK ministers, they would not change their position, as their view was the split was being applied UK-wide.  

6.4 The government had tried to mitigate the impact on local government by introducing a transition year in 2026-2027, offering additional budget flexibilities and the flexible use of capital receipts. Furthermore, the Budget had provided additional funding for local authorities, and the UK government had extended the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) for 6 months to allow more time to close the programmes.

6.5 This approach would be different to England and Scotland, as neither benefited from a transition period, and some local authorities would not have access to Local Growth funding once the SPF came to a close.

6.6 The consultation had attracted more than 150 formal responses and over 200 people attended regional consultation events. These findings supplemented feedback from the Steering Group, lessons from previous programmes, the work with the OECD, and a socio-economic analysis.

6.7 The main aim of the Investment Plan was to support productivity growth, with a focus on areas where funding would have the greatest impact.

6.8 Consultation responses, generally, supported the proposal for the CJCs to plan regional investment, however, there were concerns about CJC capacity, preparedness and ability to work with different partners. To support the development of CJCs and regional plans, £200,000 of revenue would be allocated from the LGF to each CJC in the first year for planning and capacity development during transition.

6.9 Cabinet welcomed the paper.

6.10 Cabinet approved the recommendations in the paper.

Cabinet Secretariat
February 2026