Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Wales) explained

Post:Cabinet Secretary for Transport
Body:Wales
Flag:Flag of Wales.svg
Flagsize:50px
Incumbent:Ken Skates MS
Department:Welsh Government
Style:Welsh Cabinet Secretary
Status:Cabinet Secretary
Reports To:the Senedd and the First Minister of Wales
Seat:Cardiff
Nominator:First Minister of Wales
Appointer:The Crown
Termlength:Five years
Termlength Qualified:Subject to elections to the Senedd which take place every five years
First:Sue Essex AM

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Welsh: Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Drafnidiaeth) is a minister of the Welsh Government. The current officeholder is Ken Skates, since March 2024.

Holders of the role

NamePictureEntered officeLeft officeOther offices heldPolitical partyGovernmentNotes
Secretary for Transport
Sue Essex22 February 200016 October 2000Secretary for EnvironmentSecretary for PlanningLabourMichael administrationInterim Morgan administration[1]
Minister for Transport
Sue Essex20002003Minister for EnvironmentMinister for PlanningLabourFirst Morgan government[2]
Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Transport
Brian Gibbons13 May 200310 January 2005LabourSecond Morgan government[3]
Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey14 January 20052007LabourSecond Morgan government
Minister for Transport
Brian Gibbons7 June 20072007Minister for the EconomyLabourThird Morgan government[4]
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure
Ken SkatesMay 20162017LabourThird Jones government[5]
Cabinet Secretary / Minister for Transport
Ken Skates20172021Minister for the EconomyMinister for North WalesLabourThird Jones governmentFirst Drakeford government[6] [7]
Deputy Minister for Climate Change
Lee Waters13 May 202120 March 2024LabourSecond Drakeford government[8]
Cabinet Secretary for Transport
Ken Skates21 March 2024Cabinet Secretary for North WalesLabourGething government[9]

Background

Following the 2021 Senedd election, First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford announced in the formation of the next Welsh government, that he would form a "super-ministry" centred on climate change, combining the portfolios of the environment, energy, housing, planning and transport. It would be headed by a Minister for Climate Change (announced to be Julie James MS), with a deputy minister assisting the government division.[10] [11]

The position partly oversees transport in Wales, with the position also referred to by derivatives of the old name such as "transport minister".[12] [13] [14]

Waters, the holder from 2021,[15] oversaw during his period in the position, the increased introduction of 20 mph zones in Wales,[16] conducting a roads review involving scaling back new road construction,[17] [18] and overseeing the impact of COVID-19 on public transport in Wales, such as buses.[19]

Responsibilities

See also: Politics of Wales and 2021 Senedd election. The responsibilities of the post are:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Key Events in the Development of the National Assembly for Wales First Assembly: 1999 - 2003 . senedd.wales . National Assembly for Wales.
  2. Book: Wallace, Jennifer . Wellbeing and Devolution: Reframing the Role of Government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland . 5 December 2018 . Springer . 9783030022303 . 75.
  3. Web site: Key Events in the Development of the National Assembly for Wales Second Assembly: 2003 - 2007 . senedd.wales . National Assembly for Wales.
  4. Web site: 2007-06-07 . Gibbons is Welsh Assembly's new transport minister . 2024-01-02 . www.transportxtra.com . en-GB.
  5. Web site: Ken Skates MS . 2024-01-02 . senedd.wales . en-GB.
  6. News: 16 November 2021 . Ken Skates on imposter syndrome, stepping back and how the pandemic changed his priorities . .
  7. Web site: 2017-11-03 . Welsh Government cabinet reshuffle: Who is in and out? . 2024-01-02 . BBC News . en-gb.
  8. Web site: Lee Waters MS: Deputy Minister for Climate Change GOV.WALES . 2024-01-02 . www.gov.wales . en.
  9. News: 21 March 2024 . Wales' new First Minister Vaughan Gething announces his cabinet . ITV News.
  10. Web site: 14 May 2021 . Drakeford creates 'super-ministry' to combat climate change . The Planner.
  11. Web site: Mosalski . Ruth . 2021-05-13 . Live updates as Mark Drakeford overhauls Welsh Government cabinet . 2024-01-02 . Wales Online . en.
  12. Web site: 2023-04-27 . Welsh Minister for Climate praises grassroots 'community rail' groups supporting green and inclusive travel - Community Rail Network . 2024-01-02 . communityrail.org.uk . en-US.
  13. Web site: 2023-03-22 . Highways Magazine - Welsh transport minister: You win some engineers you lose some . 2024-01-02 . www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk . en.
  14. Web site: Richardson . Perry . 2023-10-06 . Welsh Transport Minister proposes new national standards for taxis and PHVs to tackle cross-border . 2024-01-02 . TaxiPoint Taxi News . en.
  15. News: 13 May 2021 . Mark Drakeford overhauls cabinet as Vaughan Gething replaced as health minister . .
  16. News: 2023-09-22 . Wales 20mph: Lee Waters to face Tory no confidence vote . en-GB . BBC News . 2024-01-02.
  17. Web site: Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters sets the direction for the future of transport in Wales Road Safety Wales . 2024-01-02 . www.roadsafetywales.org.uk.
  18. Web site: Wales road-building plans have been 'simply unaffordable', according to deputy climate minister . 2024-01-02 . Sky News . en.
  19. Web site: Evans . Alan . 2023-02-22 . Deputy Minister for Climate Change under fire over end of Bus Emergency Scheme - Carmarthenshire News Online . 2024-01-02 . en-GB.