5 July 2011

• Item 1: The Legislative Programme 2011-16
• Item 2: Minutes of the previous meeting
• Item 3: First Minister’s items
• Item 4: Forthcoming Assembly Plenary Business
• Item 5: Science for Wales
• Item 6: The Welsh Housing Quality Standard

Present:  

• Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister (Chair)
• Leighton Andrews AM
• Edwina Hart MBE OStJ AM
• Jane Hutt AM
• John Griffiths AM
• Lesley Griffiths AM
• Huw Lewis AM
• Carl Sargeant AM
• Janice Gregory AM
• Theodore Huckle QC
• Jeff Cuthbert AM (item 1)
• Alun Davies AM (item 1)
• Gwenda Thomas AM (item 1)

Officials:

• Dame Gillian Morgan, Permanent Secretary
• Michael Hearty, Director General for Strategic Planning, Finance and Performance
• Hugh Rawlings, Director Department of First Minister and Cabinet
• Peter Greening, Cabinet Secretary
• Des Clifford, Principal Private Secretary to the First Minister
• Jo Kiernan, Special Adviser
• Andrew Bold, Special Adviser
• Chris Roberts, Special Adviser
• Steve Jones, Special Adviser
• Jonathan Davies, Special Adviser
• Matt Greenough, Special Adviser
• Marion Stapleton, Deputy Director Assembly Business and Legislation Management Division
• Christopher W Morgan, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (minutes)
• Jeff Andrews, Specialist Policy Adviser
• Anna McMorrin, Specialist Policy Adviser
• Will Whiteley, Legislative Programme Manager (item 1)
• Professor John Harries, Chief Scientific Adviser (item 5)
• Richard Rossington, Head of Science Policy (item 5)
• John Howells, Director Housing, Regeneration and Heritage Department (item 6)
• Kath Palmer, Head of Housing Operations (item 6)

Item 1: The Legislative Programme 2011-16

1.1 The First Minister introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to approve the Welsh Government’s Legislative Programme for 2011-16, recognising that additional bidding rounds would be conducted annually.

1.2 Cabinet welcomed the paper and noted that the First Minister would be formally announcing the Government’s Legislative Programme to the Assembly the following week.  This statement would focus on the strategic objectives of the programme and only refer to those bids where a clear case for legislation had been evidenced.  No commitments would be made to what year Bills would be introduced beyond those earmarked for the 2011/12 session.

1.3 Ministers acknowledged that publishing timetables would help illustrate how long it would take to introduce legislation, however, there would need to be flexibility in the programme in future years.

1.4 It was reported that the White Paper consultation on the Organ Donation Bill was scheduled for the Autumn and a draft of the Social Services Bill was expected around the same time.  

Item 2: Minutes of the previous meeting

2.1 Cabinet approved the minutes of the previous meeting.  

Item 3: First Minister’s items

Meetings with the UK Government

3.1 Cabinet noted that the First Minister had met with the Secretary of State for Wales the previous day and he would be attending meetings with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in London on Wednesday.  

Fairer Funding for Wales

3.2 The First Minister indicated, that in his discussions with the Chancellor he would reiterate the need for a ‘floor’ to the Barnett Formula in respect of Wales and ask the Treasury to change the administrative rules, which would allow the Welsh Ministers to borrow capital using the powers inherited from the Welsh Development Agency without such sums being offset against the Government’s budget.

Item 4: Forthcoming Assembly Plenary Business  

4.1 Cabinet noted the schedule containing forthcoming Assembly Plenary business.

Item 5: Science for Wales

5.1 The First Minister welcomed the Chief Scientific Adviser to Cabinet and congratulated him on recently being awarded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Distinguished Public Service Medal.   Professor Harries was then invited to introduce the paper, which asked Cabinet to agree the content of ‘Science for Wales: A Strategic Agenda for Science in Wales’.  

5.2 It was proposed that, following agreement by Ministers, officials would engage further with key stakeholders with a view to bringing to Cabinet a final document in the Autumn for adoption as the Science Strategy of the Welsh Government. Cabinet approved the paper.  

Item 6: The Welsh Housing Quality Standard

7.1 The Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage introduced the paper, which asked Cabinet to note that significant improvements had been made to the quality of social housing stock in Wales.  Cabinet noted the paper

Cabinet Secretariat
July 2011