Rt Hon Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, Prif Weinidog
I attended the 45th British-Irish Council (BIC) Summit, hosted by the Government of Guernsey on 9–10 July 2026.
A joint communiqué outlining the matters discussed and agreed at the Summit, together with the list of attendees has been published.
The theme of the Summit was “Nurturing Beginnings: Strengthening Early Years and Family Support for Happy, Healthy Childhoods and Lifelong Wellbeing”. Discussions focused on the shared ambition across BIC member administrations to ensure children have the best possible start in life through effective early years support, childcare provision and family services. This gave the opportunity to exchanged evidence, experience and best practice on supporting children and families, improving outcomes through early intervention, tackling child poverty and ensuring services are accessible and joined up.
I outlined the Welsh Government’s child-centred and preventative approach to early years and family support, including our focus on tackling child poverty, improving access to childcare, strengthening family support services and supporting bilingual provision from the earliest stages of a child’s development. I welcomed the opportunity to continue sharing evidence and best practice with partners across these islands on common interest and shared challenges.
The Summit included a discussion on latest political developments. I provided an overview of the Welsh Government's priorities for the current Senedd term, including reducing NHS waiting lists, tackling child poverty and the cost of living, raising educational standards, supporting jobs and economic growth, and delivering greater fairness for Wales.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of securing the fiscal flexibilities and constitutional powers needed to improve outcomes for people in Wales, including further devolution in areas such as policing, justice, rail, water and the Crown Estate. The Welsh Government's ambition to halve the productivity gap with the rest of the UK and establish a Development Agency for Wales to help ensure prosperity is felt in all parts of Wales was also highlighted.
The discussion provided an opportunity to reiterate the Welsh Government's commitment to maintaining the closest possible ties with the European Union. I noted the impact that an increasingly volatile international environment, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, is having on communities, public services and economic resilience, and the importance of cooperation between governments in responding to these challenges.
In the margins of the Summit, I met with the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Darren Jones MP. Discussions focused on fair funding for Wales and the constitutional powers needed to improve outcomes for people in Wales, including the devolution of rail, policing and justice. The case for greater parity between Wales and Scotland in areas of devolved responsibility was also highlighted.
Bilateral meetings also took place with representatives of the Scottish Government, Isle of Man Government, Government of Guernsey and Northern Ireland Executive, focused on strengthening relationships, exchanging views on current priorities and exploring areas of mutual interest and cooperation.
The next BIC Summit will be hosted by the UK Government.