Welsh Government Board meeting: 13 March 2026

• Andrew Goodall (Chair) 
• Carys Williams 
• Aled Edwards 
• Mike Usher 
• Judith Paget 
• Emma Williams 
• Sioned Evans 
• Tracey Burke 
• Nicola Williams 
• David Richards 
• Dean Medcraft 
• Nicola Edwards 
• The Wellbeing of Future Generations Champion 
• TUS Representative 
• Zakhyia Begum 

In attendance 

• Glyn Jones 
• John Morris 
• Rae Cornish 
• Head of the Equality Impact Assessment Improvement Plan 
• Rachel Garside-Jones 

Apologies 

• Emma Williams 
• Jacqueline Totterdell 

Secretariat 

• Permanent Secretary’s Office 

1.1 The Chair welcomed all to the meeting and noted the apologies received. No conflicts of interest were declared.

1.2 The notes of 30 January were approved subject to minor amendment. The Chair noted that Board would now receive a written update on mega events, with officials returning to Board if further assurance is required.

1.3 The Chair welcomed Nicola Edwards to her first Board meeting as the new Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Champion.

1.4 The Chair noted this was the final meeting for the current Shadow Board cohort and expressed thanks for the valuable contributions it has provided to the Board. Zakhyia Begum, Shadow Board Co-Chair thanked Board members for their support.

1.5 The Chair noted the impact of current global events on the economy and society in Wales.

1.6 The Chair referenced that the year-end financial position was trending healthier than anticipated, with potential to add to reserves and provide flexibility for government transition.

1.7 The Chair noted the UK Government’s Spring Statement and the additional funding identified for Wales.

1.8 The Chair noted the final position on delivery against the Programme for Government. The Chair also noted that legislative programme had been achieved fully, including additional private members legislation.

1.9 The Chair advised that access talks ahead of the election in May continue.

1.10 The Chair noted the recent Heart Unions week and recognised the good foundations of working in social partnership within the organisation.

1.11 The Chair updated the Board on his recent meeting with the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary.

1.12 The Chair updated Board on steps being taken to mitigate the impact of the recent issues with the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

2.1 The Chair welcomed Glyn Jones and John Morris to the meeting and invited them to update Board on the organisation’s internal Data Strategy. The update discussed work to support improved data usage across the organisation and highlighted achievements, challenges and several proposed areas to deliver further improvements. The importance of developing organisation-wide core skills in data management was highlighted as well as the productivity benefits from improvements in data usage.

2.2 Carys Williams expressed her concerns and commented that the window to act is limited, particularly given emerging threats and the need for trustworthy data to harness AI. Carys queried what would be needed to establish a data centre of excellence. Glyn responded that it would require investment (potentially including external specialist support) and, critically, capacity in business areas to engage with the change process.

2.3 Mike Usher echoed concerns that investment in AI will underperform unless it is underpinned by good quality data, with clear data ownership, accountability and governance. Mike also expressed concerns that the role of Data Protection Officer currently sits with the Head of Internal Audit. Dean Medcraft echoed these concerns.

2.4 Nicola Williams noted the challenges in providing legal advice on the use of data when responsibility for compliance is devolved to Groups; this is amplified when using AI and data at scale.

2.5 David Richards emphasised the need for proper investment in the organisation’s corporate infrastructure but noted the challenge given competing pressures for funding.

2.6 Andrew Slade suggested the start of the new Senedd term offers an opportunity to reset, noting the links between access to high quality data and service effectiveness and innovation. Judith Paget agreed.

2.7 Sioned Evans advised that investment in improving data quality is being positioned within the broader business case to transform corporate services, while acknowledging that some matters (for example, team capacity and distributed compliance capacity) sit outside the scope of corporate systems.

2.8 Zakhyia Begum fed back the view of the Shadow Board. The Shadow Board supported building baseline data management competence across roles (not just specialists), to reduce single points of failure and strengthen accountability. Tracey Burke agreed, highlighting the need for core skills in data agreement across the organisation.

2.9 The Future Generations Champion suggested that the Well-being of Future Generations Act is viewed by stakeholders as a rationale to invest in long-term capability, including data foundations.

2.10 The Chair thanked all for their comments and summarised discussions. The Board noted the positive achievements to date but recognised the ongoing capacity and infrastructure constraints to transform Welsh Government into a data-driven organisation. The Board recognised the productivity and efficiency benefits from improvements in data usage.

3.1 The Board reflected on the findings of the 2025 annual review.

3.2 The Chair noted that while Board arrangements are shaped by the political environment, the board’s primary role is to support corporate leadership and the Permanent Secretary as Principal Accounting Officer.

3.3 Carys Williams suggested clearer mapping of how the work of Board and its subcommittees connect with the work of ExCo and its subcommittees to improve Board effectiveness and to help paper authors understand the right route and expectations.

3.4 Zakhyia Begum suggested increasing the visibility of the Board’s work amongst staff to demonstrate how the organisation is managed at a corporate level.

3.5 Mike Usher reminded Board that it can commission the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee to deep dive on specific topics and report back.

3.6 Nicola Williams suggested periodically bringing in external perspectives to benchmark the Board’s performance.

3.7 The TUS representative suggested considering how social partnership is reflected within governance structures beyond attendance/representation at meetings.

4.1 The Chair invited Judith Paget and the Head of the Equality Impact Assessment Improvement Plan to provide an update on progress with the Section 23 Action Plan. The positive and constructive working arrangements with the Equality and Human Rights Commission were noted. Project governance and oversight structures are in place and the deliverables for the initial phase have been achieved.

4.2 It was acknowledged that the existing Integrated Impact Assessment guidance is lengthy and complex; Rae Cornish confirmed work is underway to simplify while maintaining integrity.

4.3 Zakhyia Begum noted Shadow Board’s comments on the importance of undertaking impact assessments early in the policy development cycle.

5.1 Judith Paget and Rachel Garside-Jones provided an update. The Election Preparation Subcommittee continues to meet fortnightly. One red risk has been identified in relation to capacity within Bill Teams.

5.2 Judith noted the volume of engagement work with teams across the organisation. Rachel Garside-Jones outlined plans for the preparation of day-one ministerial briefings and an induction programme for new ministers. An induction programme for special advisers is planned and a refreshed induction/training programme for private office staff is being delivered.

6.1 Dean Medcraft provided an update on the in-year finance position as at 31 January.

6.2 The Board noted the position and recognised that pressures may still appear before the end of the financial year.

7.1 The Chair thanked all for their contributions and closed the meeting.