Sioned Williams MS Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality

• Deputise for Prif Weinidog
• Children's and young people's rights, entitlements and advocacy
• Early years, childcare and play policy, including the Childcare offer and workforce
• Cynnal Payment
• Family Support policy and programmes
• Parenting
• Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Co-ordination of cross-cutting measures to promote prosperity and tackle poverty
• Co-ordination of measures to mitigate Child Poverty
• DWP Liaison and engagement with UKG Welfare policy
• Welsh Benefit System
• Fuel and food poverty
• Financial inclusion, including credit unions
• Equality and Human Rights
• Diversity and inclusion guidance for elections
• Co-ordination of issues relating to Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, Asylum-seekers, refugees, migration and community cohesion
• Anti-slavery, domestic abuse, gender-based violence and sexual violence
• The Voluntary sector and volunteering
• Social Partnership
• Relationship with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Children's Commissioner for Wales, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
• Lead on policy in relation to the Armed Forces, Veterans and Cadets in Wales
• Wales and Africa
• Lead on policy in relation to justice policy issues
• Youth Justice and Female Offending blueprints
• Community cohesion
• Community Safety, including Police Community Support Officers
• Relations with the Police and Crime Commissioners, Police and other Criminal Justice agencies
• Relations with UK government in respect of Prisons and the Probation Service
• Advice and Advocacy Services
• Lead responsibility for monitoring Post Office and Royal Mail matters in Wales
• Oversight of the distribution of Lottery funding within Wales

Personal history

Williams grew up in Cwmbrân  and was educated at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân and Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni. She’s married with 2 children and lives in Alltwen, in the Swansea Valley. Sioned is fluent in Welsh. After graduating in Welsh and English Literature from Aberystwyth University, she was awarded the S4C T.Glynne Davies Scholarship to study for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism at Cardiff University.

Professional background

Williams was a senior journalist with BBC Wales before going to work for Swansea University as Welsh Language Policy Officer and then as Communications and Development Manager at Academi Hywel Teifi. As part of her work at the University, she helped establish and co-managed Tŷ’r Gwrhyd, the Swansea Valley’s Welsh language centre. She has also worked for Plaid Cymru as Head of Strategic Communications. Sioned has also worked as a reviewer and commentator on broadcasting and the arts for Welsh broadcast and print media and has adjudicated the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod and the Crown competition at the Urdd National Eisteddfod. She is a former Board member and Chair of the Bursaries Panel at Literature Wales.

Political history

Williams was Community Councillor for Alltwen and Chair of Cilybebyll Community Council before being elected as Member of the Senedd for South Wales West in the 2021 Election. During the 6th Senedd, she was Plaid Cymru’s Social Justice and Equalities spokesperson and a member of the Equality and Social Justice Committee. Sioned Was also Chair of Cross Party Groups on Human Rights, Learning Disabilities and Violence against Women and Children.

On 13 May 2026 Sioned Williams was appointed Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.