Cabinet meeting: 18 May 2026

• Rhun ap Iorwerth MS (Chair)
• Sioned Williams MS
• Mabon ap Gwynfor MS
• Anna Brychan MS
• Cefin Campbell MS
• Heledd Fychan MS
• Llŷr Gruffydd MS
• Siân Gwenllian MS
• Rt. Hon. Elin Jones MS
• Adam Price MS
• Dafydd Trystan Davies MS
• Rt Hon. Elfyn Llwyd
   
• Cefin Campbell MS
• Nerys Evans MS
• Mark Hooper MS
• Delyth Jewell MS

Officials

• Andrew Goodall, Permanent Secretary
• Rachel Garside-Jones, Director Office of the First Minister
• Sinead Gallagher, Deputy Director Cabinet Office
• Aled ap Dafydd, Senior Special Adviser
• Emily Edwards, Senior Special Adviser
• Cai Elis, Special Adviser
• Francess Ifan, Special Adviser
• Damian Roche, Cabinet Secretariat (minutes)
• Katie Mason, Cabinet Secretariat
• Tracey Breheny, Director Strategy Unit (item 3)
• Andy Fraser, Chief Officer for National Security and Resilience (item 3)
• Claire Germain, Deputy Director Poverty Reduction and Family Support (item 3)
• Thomas Nicholls, Chief Economist (item 3)

1.1 The First Minister welcomed ministers to the first Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government Cabinet meeting, and indicated it was a historic moment for Wales.

1.2 This first agenda item would be used to keep Cabinet informed about relevant developments, followed by an update on Senedd business by the Trefnydd.

1.3 A note would be shared with ministers about the future arrangements for Cabinet business following the meeting, which would explain how ministers could suggest future items for Cabinet consideration.

1.4 Cathays Park would be the central hub of government and a workplace for all ministers.

Senedd business

1.5 The Trefnydd advised Cabinet the next plenary meeting would take place the following day from 1:30pm. At that meeting, a Business Committee would be elected, along with agreement of plenary business for the week commencing 1 June. This would be followed by a statement by the First Minister on the government’s priorities.

1.6 Business Committee would also meet for the first time later in the week to begin its work, including discussing options for a committee structure, a plenary timetable and recess dates.

1.7 The oral question schedule would be circulated to offices following the meeting, and First Minister’s questions would begin following half-term, on Tuesday 2 June. Ministerial oral questions would begin on Wednesday 10 June, along with opposition business.

2.1 The First Minister introduced the paper, which set out his priorities for the current Senedd alongside expectations on ways of working and the monitoring of progress.

2.2 The proposal before Cabinet was to note the First Minister’s suggested ways of working and the core narrative of the Welsh Government for this Senedd term.

2.3 The First Minister recognised the shared, ambitious vision for the nation amongst the Cabinet, and reflected on what could be achieved under new leadership.

2.4 The paper set out how working together to make rapid progress on the priorities would be vital. The manifesto was clear about what the government would prioritise, including:

• reducing waiting lists, and developing a health and care service fit for the future
• helping families with the cost of living through affordable and quality childcare
• unlocking the potential of the Welsh economy, and creating good, well-paid jobs
• raising standards in schools and ensuring the best conditions for learning
• tackling child poverty, and
• standing up for Wales and demanding fairness from Westminster.

2.5 Progressing these would require difficult choices, including stopping or reshaping current activities that would not directly contribute to these goals.

2.6 The expectation was for the Cabinet to work together as one government with common objectives to ensure real progress that people in Wales could see and feel.

2.7 To drive the programme of work, the First Minister would lead a small team with the Deputy First Minister, the Trefnydd, the Cabinet Minister for Finance, and the Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness.

2.8 It was reported that work with the Permanent Secretary had already begun, to ensure the civil service was aligned to the priorities, with the right structures, data, and focus.

2.9 It was important also to work through strong partnerships across public services, acting with clarity and consistency in asking them to deliver alongside the government.

2.10 Cabinet noted the paper.

3.1 Officials provided Cabinet with an update on the situation in the Middle East and the impact on Wales.

3.2 Cabinet recognised the volatility of the conflict in the Middle East, and its continued potential to generate global economic, energy and security shocks. There existed wide ranging and interconnected potential policy impacts for Wales, including energy and fuel prices, food costs, inflationary pressures, supply chain disruption, public service resilience and community cohesion.

3.3 The Welsh Government had activated a resilience overwatch, led through operation Gwennol, and whilst there were no significant concerns at present, the situation remained under continuous assessment given the uncertainty. There are not major concerns around energy or fuel supplies, or the wider supply chain at present, and fuel disruption preparedness has been tested through exercise Celtic Lantern.

3.4 The Middle East Policy Impacts Group has been established within government to continually assess policy implications, but it was concerning that devolved governments were not currently invited to the UK government’s Middle East Response Committee (MERC), despite this request being made.

3.5 The economic impacts were highly uncertain at present, but there would be an impact on energy prices, with a predicted £500 increase to the energy price cap, with a knock-on impact on products such as fertiliser.

3.6 Inflation could approach 4% in 2026, with a possibility of reaching 6%, with the resulting impacts on cost of living and for Wales’ energy-intensive industries, rural transport costs and fuel poverty. At present, some businesses were hedged against increasing costs, but impacts would be felt by SMEs.

3.7 This situation was unfolding against a backdrop of a less favourable, weakening labour market compared to the energy crisis following the war in Ukraine. In addition, the UK government had less room to manoeuvre due to ongoing fiscal constraints.

3.8 Goods transported through the Strait of Hormuz had dropped significantly and prices at the pumps had increased considerably since the war in Iran started, but gas prices, whilst elevated, had not yet seen the same spikes as during the commencement of the war in Ukraine.

3.9 This all contributed to markets now expecting the Bank of England to increase interest rates, with the resulting dampening of economic activity and investment.

3.10 There would be overarching impacts on people in Wales, including the potential to drive system wide cost and inflationary pressures that would impact households, public services, economic resilience and community cohesion simultaneously, compounding pressures rather than remaining sector specific. Whilst risks were currently considered manageable, pressures could translate into service disruption and deeper impacts as the conflict continued.

3.11 The immediate impacts were being felt by those estimated 7-8% of Welsh households that used heating oil, with rapid price increases and volatility in the market remaining since the conflict began.

3.12 There were a number of support schemes in place for households across Wales, including: the Single Advice Fund and Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF), the roll out of free school meals, the School Essentials Grant and the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS). Ongoing support also included programmes such as free prescriptions, free dental and eye checks, support for students, the Education Maintenance Allowance, a real living wage for social care workers and Flying Start.

3.13 Additional support had been made available through the DAF for off grid fuel, with the maximum award for heating oil increased from £500 to £750, and people could apply up to twice in a 12-month period, a minimum of 3 months apart.

3.14 In addition, a scheme had been established to provide a single payment of £200 to households eligible for the CTRS (based on income), and who lived in homes reliant on heating oil or LPG. The scheme was being delivered by Local Authorities and would be open until 30 September.

3.15 The Cabinet then considered the inter-governmental relations aspect.

3.16 The First Minister thanked officials for the presentation.

Cabinet Secretariat
May 2026