Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Wales)
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.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport of Wales | |
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Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Drafnidiaeth (Welsh) | |
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since 21 March 2024 | |
Welsh Government | |
Style | Welsh Cabinet Secretary |
Status | Cabinet Secretary |
Member of | |
Reports to | the Senedd and the First Minister of Wales |
Seat | Cardiff |
Nominator | First Minister of Wales |
Appointer | The Crown |
Term length | Five years Subject to elections to the Senedd which take place every five years |
First holder | Sue Essex AM |
Website | gov |
Holders of the role
editName | Picture | Entered office | Left office | Other offices held | Political party | Government | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Secretary for Transport | ||||||||
Sue Essex | 22 February 2000 | 16 October 2000 | Secretary for Environment
Secretary for Planning |
Labour | Michael administration | [1] | ||
Minister for Transport | ||||||||
Sue Essex | 2000 | 2003 | Minister for Environment
Minister for Planning |
Labour | First Morgan government | [2] | ||
Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Transport | ||||||||
Brian Gibbons | 13 May 2003 | 10 January 2005 | Labour | Second Morgan government | [3] | |||
Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey | 14 January 2005 | 2007 | Labour | Second Morgan government | [3] | |||
Minister for Transport | ||||||||
Brian Gibbons | 7 June 2007 | 2007 | Minister for the Economy | Labour | Third Morgan government | [4] | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure | ||||||||
Ken Skates | May 2016 | 2017 | Labour | Third Jones government | [5] | |||
Cabinet Secretary / Minister for Transport | ||||||||
Ken Skates | 2017 | 2021 | Minister for the Economy | Labour | Third Jones government | [6][7] | ||
Deputy Minister for Climate Change | ||||||||
Lee Waters | 13 May 2021 | 20 March 2024 | Labour | Second Drakeford government | [8] | |||
Cabinet Secretary for Transport | ||||||||
Ken Skates | 21 March 2024 | Cabinet Secretary for North Wales | Labour | Gething government | [9] |
Background
editFollowing 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
editThe responsibilities of the post are:[8]
- Transport
- Transport policy
- Transport for Wales
- Roads, including road construction and improvement, as well as the maintenance of trunk roads and motorways.
- Bus services
- Rail services through management of the Wales and Borders franchise
- Overseeing Cardiff Airport at an arms-length
- Active travel
- Road safety; such as creating safer routes to schools; overseeing children's and young people transport; the regulation of on-street parking and pedestrian crossings.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Key Events in the Development of the National Assembly for Wales First Assembly: 1999 - 2003" (PDF). senedd.wales. National Assembly for Wales.
- ^ Wallace, Jennifer (5 December 2018). Wellbeing and Devolution: Reframing the Role of Government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Springer. p. 75. ISBN 9783030022303.
- ^ a b "Key Events in the Development of the National Assembly for Wales Second Assembly: 2003 - 2007" (PDF). senedd.wales. National Assembly for Wales.
- ^ "Gibbons is Welsh Assembly's new transport minister". www.transportxtra.com. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Ken Skates MS". senedd.wales. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Ken Skates on imposter syndrome, stepping back and how the pandemic changed his priorities". ITV News. 16 November 2021.
- ^ "Welsh Government cabinet reshuffle: Who is in and out?". BBC News. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Lee Waters MS: Deputy Minister for Climate Change | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Wales' new First Minister Vaughan Gething announces his cabinet". ITV News. 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Drakeford creates 'super-ministry' to combat climate change". The Planner. 14 May 2021.
- ^ Mosalski, Ruth (13 May 2021). "Live updates as Mark Drakeford overhauls Welsh Government cabinet". Wales Online. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Welsh Minister for Climate praises grassroots 'community rail' groups supporting green and inclusive travel - Community Rail Network". communityrail.org.uk. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Highways Magazine - Welsh transport minister: You win some engineers you lose some". www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ Richardson, Perry (6 October 2023). "Welsh Transport Minister proposes new national standards for taxis and PHVs to tackle cross-border". TaxiPoint Taxi News. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Mark Drakeford overhauls cabinet as Vaughan Gething replaced as health minister". ITV News. 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Wales 20mph: Lee Waters to face Tory no confidence vote". BBC News. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters sets the direction for the future of transport in Wales | Road Safety Wales". www.roadsafetywales.org.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Wales road-building plans have been 'simply unaffordable', according to deputy climate minister". Sky News. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ Evans, Alan (22 February 2023). "Deputy Minister for Climate Change under fire over end of Bus Emergency Scheme - Carmarthenshire News Online". Retrieved 2 January 2024.