Cabinet and ministers
Who is in the Welsh Government, exactly what each minister's portfolio covers, and how much they have answered for it in the Senedd.
What the government has promised: the Programme for Government
First Minister
Rhun ap Iorwerth
First Minister of Wales
Leads the government and answers First Minister's Questions every week.
What the portfolio covers (17 areas)
- Exercise of functions by the Welsh Government
- Expectations, oversight and support for the Welsh Government civil service, working with the Permanent Secretary (supported by the Minister for Government Effectiveness)
- Development, implementation and presentation of the Programme for Government and Welsh Government policies
- Legislative Programme (supported by the Minister for Government Effectiveness)
- Promoting and representing Wales at home and overseas
- Inter-governmental relations
- International Relations including overseas network and EU relations
- Civil Contingencies and Chair of Wales Resilience Forum
- National security including counter-terrorism and cyber security
- The Ministerial Code
- Open Government and information management, including data protection
- Arms-Length Bodies – general governance
- UK government Covid-19 Public Inquiry
- Leadership of Cabinet
- Strategic Communications
- Public Appointments
- Senedd electoral system
Cabinet
Sioned Williams
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Answers for: Poverty and the cost of living, Equality and human rights
What the portfolio covers (32 areas)
- 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
- Overarching responsibility for Disabled People
- 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
Heledd Fychan
Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport
Answers for: Culture, sport and Wales in the world
What the portfolio covers (20 areas)
- Management of Government Business in the Senedd in line with Standing Orders
- Delivery of the weekly Business Statement
- Represent the Government in Business Committee
- Government Chief Whip
- Culture and the arts
- Broadcasting and media policy
- Culture Strategy, with reference to Welsh language and Creative Industries
- Sponsorship and remit of the Arts Council of Wales
- The historic environment in Wales
- Cadw and the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments
- National Museums and Galleries of Wales
- Local museums and collections
- National Library of Wales
- Public libraries
- Local archive services
- Development of a National Archive for Wales
- National Botanic Garden of Wales
- Elite Sport
- Community sport, including sponsorship of the Sports Council for Wales
- Major Events
Anna Brychan
Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Answers for: Schools, The Welsh language
What the portfolio covers (28 areas)
- Cabinet responsibility for education, the Welsh Language, skills and tertiary education.
- School standards, improvement and pupil attainment
- School governance, organisation and admissions
- School funding policy including Local Authority Education Grant
- Curriculum and assessment arrangements
- Digital learning including Hwb and online safety
- Welsh medium and bilingual education
- Early childhood education (except workforce training)
- Additional learning needs, including needs of pupils with severe, complex and/or specific learning difficulties, disabled pupils
- Support for people with Dyslexia
- Equity in Education including the whole school approach to mental health, attendance and safeguarding, behaviour and inclusion and community focussed schools
- Food and drink in schools including Free School Meals and Breakfasts, Milk and Healthy Eating
- Complaints against Local Education Authorities and school governing bodies
- Delivery and management of the Sustainable Communities for Learning capital programme
- Qualifications Wales
- GCSE Qualifications
- A Level Qualifications (jointly with Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education)
- Estyn work programme remit and funding
- Adnodd
- Dysgu
- School practitioner career pathways, professional standards, professional learning and leadership support, including initial teacher education and Dysgu
- Education workforce engagement including recruitment and retention, pay and conditions, Independent Welsh Pay Review Body, workload and wellbeing, and the Education Workforce Council
- 14 - 19 Learner Pathways (jointly with Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education)
- Cymraeg 2050 – including targets and data, legislation and standards, institutional compliance with the Welsh Language standards
- Increasing the number of Welsh speakers in early years, including immersion and language transmission
- Implementing the Welsh Language and Education Act
- Safeguarding in education settings
- Relationship with the Welsh Language Commissioner
Dafydd Trystan Davies
Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution
Answers for: The constitution, Councils and public services
What the portfolio covers (11 areas)
- Constitutional affairs, including further devolution and the Commission on Wales’ constitutional arrangements
- Co-ordination of work on the Common Frameworks
- Oversight of the government's priorities
- Oversight of the Programme for Government
- Supporting oversight of Cabinet Office
- One Wales Public Service, including Arwain
- Planning for the Legislative programme
- Official Statistics, including the Census, social research and the national survey for Wales
- A review of Wales' Covid Response
- Implementation of the Well-being of Future Generations framework, including Well-being of Future Generations National Stakeholder Fora and oversight of relationship with Public Bodies under the WFG Act, and Sustainable Development Goals
- Public Service Boards
Llyr Gruffydd
Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability
Answers for: Farming and rural Wales, Climate and nature
What the portfolio covers (41 areas)
- Cross-cutting measures of mitigation and adaptation in relation to climate change, including water; land drainage; flood and coastal risk; and control of marine and air pollution
- Net Zero, climate change, emission reduction targets and carbon budgets
- Natural Resources Management, including oversight and implementation of the Environment (Wales) Act and Natural Resources Wales
- Circular economy
- Sustainable resource and waste management
- Local environment quality, including Noise policy, litter, fly-tipping, Deposit Return Scheme and Extended Producer Responsibility
- Water
- Reservoir safety
- Forestry policy and legislation, including re-stocking, tree health and forest reproductive material and the National Forest
- Marine and freshwater planning, biodiversity, conservation and licencing
- Biodiversity policy, including the implementation of the Nature Recovery Plan
- The protection and management of wildlife
- Injurious weeds
- The regulation of plant health, seeds and pesticides
- Strategic lead on allotments and urban green infrastructure
- Community Green Spaces and common land
- Access to the countryside, coast, rights of way and waterways/bodies of water
- National Parks & Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- REACH and Chemical policy
- Coal tip safety
- Opencast mine restoration
- Contaminated land
- Air quality
- Environmental regulations in respect of radioactivity and nuclear
- Industrial and environmental permitting regulations
- Sustainability of rural communities
- Rural proofing
- Supporting Agriculture – food security, economic, social
- Sustainable Farming Scheme
- Agriculture sector development, including wages and skills
- Rural Development Programme
- Best and most versatile land policy, advice on mineral site restoration to an agricultural after-use, Agricultural Land Classification and implementation of the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations
- Young Entrants
- Animal health and welfare
- Bovine TB Eradication Plan
- Livestock identification and movement policy
- Holding registration policy
- Genetically modified crops
- Power to require provision of information about crop prices
- Inland, coastal and sea fisheries: policy regulation and enforcement, and the management of fishery harbours
- Developing agri-food sector, associated supply chains, promotion and marketing of food and drink from Wales
Siân Gwenllian
Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
Answers for: Housing, Councils and public services
What the portfolio covers (26 areas)
- Local Government performance, governance and constitutional matters, scrutiny arrangements, cabinets, elected mayors, the role of councillors, their diversity, conduct and remuneration
- Structural, democratic, financial and constitutional reform of Local Authorities including co-ordination of regional collaboration models
- The Local Government Partnership Council
- Fire and Rescue Services including community fire safety
- Local Government electoral arrangements, sponsorship of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru and the timing of Local Authority elections
- The un-hypothecated funding of Local Authorities and Police and Crime Commissioners through the Local Government revenue and capital settlements
- Financial governance, financing and accounting relating to Local Government
- Local Government workforce matters
- Housing and housing-related activities of Local Authorities and housing associations, including housing management and the allocation of social and affordable housing
- Supply and quality of market, social and affordable housing
- Land division
- Second Homes
- Homelessness and housing advice
- Matters relating to housing provided by the private rented sector
- Regulation of registered social landlords
- Aids and adaptations, including Disabled Facilities Grants and Physical Adaptation Grants
- The provision of housing-related support (but not the payment of Housing Benefit)
- Warm Homes Scheme
- Fire safety in high-rise buildings
- Oversight and implementation of the Planning Acts and all aspects of planning policy and the determination of called-in planning applications and appeals
- Planning gain – Section 106 Agreements contained in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
- Developments of National Significance: determination of planning applications and connected consents
- Building regulations
- Future Wales: the national plan 2040
- Regeneration, including Strategic Regeneration Areas; legacy regeneration; Transforming Town Centres and provision of sites and premises, derelict land and environmental improvements relating to regeneration
- Burials and cremation policy
Elin Jones
Cabinet Minister for Finance
Answers for: Public finances
What the portfolio covers (18 areas)
- The Welsh Treasury
- The Welsh Revenue Authority
- Provision of strategic direction and management of the resources of the Welsh Government
- Taxation policy including Council Tax Reform, non-domestic rates, council tax reduction and the Sponsorship of the Valuation Office Agency services and the Valuation Tribunal for Wales
- Local Government finance policy including financial reform
- Visitor Levy
- Budget monitoring and management
- Strategic Investment
- Invest to Save
- Financial Accounting and audit
- In-year budget monitoring and management
- Operation and development of the devolved funding settlement and the Statement of Funding policy
- Relationship with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs on all spending and tax matters
- Public Sector pay policy
- The strategic approach to the acquisition, maintenance and disposal of property and other assets
- Commercial and procurement matters for the Welsh public sector, including local government
- Grants policy
- Oversight of audit, inspection and regulation as they relate to public services
Adam Price
Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Answers for: The economy and jobs, Energy
What the portfolio covers (36 areas)
- National Development Agency
- Support and advice to assist the establishment, growth or development of business (including export support and inward Investment)
- International Trade policy and promotion, including coordination of matters relating to the UK/EU Trade
- Economic strategy and policy
- Living wage
- Freeports
- Borders policy
- Creative Wales
- Business Wales
- Entrepreneurship, enterprise and business information
- Development Bank of Wales
- Community Bank
- Foundational Economy
- Social Enterprise, social economy, co-operative economy
- City / Growth Deals and Structural Funds / Future Regional Investment (working with Cabinet Minister for Finance and Cabinet Minister for Local Gov)
- Acquisition, management and disposal of Welsh Government-owned property assets relating to economic development
- Regulatory Framework for responsible business practices, growth and competitiveness
- National Infrastructure Commission
- Global Centre of Rail Excellence
- Driving economic benefit from major events
- Youth and Adult employability policy and delivery
- Disabled People’s Employment Champions
- Child employment
- Retail
- Tourism
- Hospitality Sector Strategy
- Energy policy and strategy including small-medium scale energy production, domestic energy, renewables, energy efficiency, transmission and distribution
- Inter-government links on reserved energy powers
- Ynni Cymru
- Relationship and partnership arrangements with the Crown Estate
- Digital connectivity infrastructure, including Public Sector Broadband Aggregation, fast broadband and mobile
- Cross-Government Digital and Data Policy & Strategy, including AI
- Digital Inclusion
- Arms-length oversight of Cardiff Airport
- Research and Innovation, including research and development, knowledge transfer and commercialisation; maximising research and innovation income, and Research Centres of Excellence (except for health and social care)
- Science: development of science policy, including liaison with the Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales
Mabon ap Gwynfor
Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
Answers for: The NHS, Social care
What the portfolio covers (17 areas)
- Cabinet responsibility for Health and Care, including public and preventative health, social care, mental health and women’s health.
- Oversight of NHS Wales - performance and escalation, NHS Finance, planning
- Healthcare science
- Primary Care
- Receipt of, response to, and direction of reports from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales
- Policy and budgets for Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Care Inspectorate Wales
- Oversight of the Welsh Government's relationship with Audit Wales regarding activities relating to the NHS
- NHS Medical workforce training and development [with the exception of years 1-5 of University Education for Doctors]
- Science, evidence, advice in health and social care
- Research and development in health and social care
- Patient experience, involvement and the citizen's voice
- Integration
- Action on the climate emergency relating to the health and care sector
- Foundation economy in health and social care
- Life Sciences
- Health innovation, technology and digital transformation
- Armed Forces and Veterans' Health
Deputy Ministers
Cefin Campbell
Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education
Answers for: Universities, colleges and skills
What the portfolio covers (25 areas)
- Reform of Seren Programme
- Tertiary Education & Research strategy, policy, funding, quality & learner experience
- Medr
- Post-16 Education Workforce including engagement, pay and conditions, workload and wellbeing
- 14-19 Learner Pathways (jointly with Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language)
- Student Support arrangements including Education Maintenance Allowance, Welsh Government Learning Grant, Higher Education Student Finance and lead for Student Loan Company
- Sustainability of higher education to include support of students and institutions
- Apprenticeship strategy and policy
- Skills strategy and policy including alignment with Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy portfolio
- International learning and strategy, including the International Learning Exchange Programme (Taith) and Global Wales
- Adult Community Learning strategy, policy and funding
- Prisoner Learning
- Credit and Qualifications Framework
- Tertiary and vocational qualifications
- A-Level qualifications (jointly with Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language)
- Increasing and widening post-16 participation
- Increasing the number of Welsh speakers in skills and tertiary education
- Lifelong Learning
- Careers Policy and the sponsorship of Careers Choices Dewis Gyrfa (CCDG)
- Work-based learning providers
- Workforce skills development
- Early years – workforce training
- Regional Skills Partnerships
- National Occupation Standards
- Youth work
Nerys Evans
Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health
Answers for: Public health
What the portfolio covers (14 areas)
- Cross-government lead on Preventative Health
- Public Health
- Health inequalities
- Emergency prevention, preparedness and response for health including pandemic preparedness
- Health protection
- Health improvement
- Addiction services
- Health impact of problem gambling
- Tobacco and vaping
- Substance misuse
- Food Standards Agency in Wales, including food safety
- Physical activity and active recreation in Wales
- Health improvement and wellbeing services
- Obesity
Mark Hooper
Deputy Minister for Transport
Answers for: Transport
What the portfolio covers (9 areas)
- Transport policy
- Transport for Wales
- Roads, including construction, improvement and maintenance of motorways and trunk roads
- Bus services
- Rail services through the Wales and Borders franchise
- Active travel
- Aviation policy
- Ports policy
- Road safety; safer routes to schools; transport for children and young people; regulation of pedestrian crossings and on-street parking
Delyth Jewell
Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health
Answers for: Social care, Mental health, The NHS
What the portfolio covers (16 areas)
- Oversight of Social Care Wales
- Mental health services
- Women's Health Services and policy
- Suicide prevention
- Dementia
- Neurodiversity
- Learning disability
- Regulation of residential, domiciliary, adult placements, foster care, under 12s care provision and private healthcare
- Inspection of, and reporting on, the provision of social services by Local Authorities (via Care Inspectorate Wales), including joint reviews of social services and responding to reports
- Policy and oversight of the provision of all social service activities of Local Authorities in Wales, including the issue of statutory guidance
- Information sharing under the Children Act 2004
- Adoption and fostering services
- Cafcass Cymru
- Carers
- Safeguarding (in Social Services and health) and a cross-Government coordination and overarching safeguarding policy
- Older people
Law officer
The Counsel General is the government's chief legal adviser and doesn't have to be a Member of the Senedd.
Elfyn Llwyd
Counsel General