Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Wales)

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Cabinet Secretary for Transport of Wales
Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Drafnidiaeth (Welsh)
Flag of Wales.svg
Official photograph of Ken Skates MS Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales (Portrait).jpg
Incumbent
Ken Skates MS
since 21 March 2024 (2024-03-21)
Welsh Government
Style Welsh Cabinet Secretary
StatusCabinet Secretary
Member of
Reports tothe 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.wales/ken-skates-ms

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.

Contents

Holders of the role

NamePictureEntered officeLeft officeOther offices heldPolitical partyGovernmentNotes
Secretary for Transport
Sue Essex Sue Essex 1999.png 22 February 200016 October 2000Secretary for Environment Labour Michael administration [1]
Secretary for Planning Interim Rhodri Morgan administration
Minister for Transport
Sue Essex Sue Essex 1999.png 20002003Minister for Environment Labour First Rhodri Morgan government [2]
Minister for Planning
Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Transport
Brian Gibbons BrianGibbons2006.JPG 13 May 200310 January 2005 Labour Second Rhodri Morgan government [3]
Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey Tamsindunwoodykneafsey.jpg 14 January 20052007 Labour Second Rhodri Morgan government [3]
Minister for Transport
Brian Gibbons BrianGibbons2006.JPG 7 June 20072007 Minister for the Economy Labour Third Rhodri Morgan government [4]
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure
Ken Skates Ken Skates 2016.jpg May 20162017 Labour Third Jones government [5]
Cabinet Secretary / Minister for Transport
Ken Skates Ken Skates 2016.jpg 20172021 Minister for the Economy Labour Third Jones government [6] [7]
Minister for North Wales First Drakeford government
Deputy Minister for Climate Change
Lee Waters Lee Waters official portrait 2021 (cropped).JPG 13 May 202120 March 2024 Labour Second Drakeford government [8]
Cabinet Secretary for Transport
Ken Skates Official portrait of Ken Skates (cropped).jpg 21 March 2024 Cabinet Secretary for North Wales Labour Gething 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

The responsibilities of the post are: [8]

See also

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References

  1. "Key Events in the Development of the National Assembly for Wales First Assembly: 1999 - 2003" (PDF). senedd.wales. National Assembly for Wales.
  2. Wallace, Jennifer (5 December 2018). Wellbeing and Devolution: Reframing the Role of Government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Springer. p. 75. ISBN   9783030022303.
  3. 1 2 "Key Events in the Development of the National Assembly for Wales Second Assembly: 2003 - 2007" (PDF). senedd.wales. National Assembly for Wales.
  4. "Gibbons is Welsh Assembly's new transport minister". www.transportxtra.com. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  5. "Ken Skates MS". senedd.wales. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  6. "Ken Skates on imposter syndrome, stepping back and how the pandemic changed his priorities". ITV News . 16 November 2021.
  7. "Welsh Government cabinet reshuffle: Who is in and out?". BBC News. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Lee Waters MS: Deputy Minister for Climate Change | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  9. "Wales' new First Minister Vaughan Gething announces his cabinet". ITV News. 21 March 2024.
  10. "Drakeford creates 'super-ministry' to combat climate change". The Planner. 14 May 2021.
  11. Mosalski, Ruth (13 May 2021). "Live updates as Mark Drakeford overhauls Welsh Government cabinet". Wales Online. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  12. "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.
  13. "Highways Magazine - Welsh transport minister: You win some engineers you lose some". www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  14. 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.
  15. "Mark Drakeford overhauls cabinet as Vaughan Gething replaced as health minister". ITV News . 13 May 2021.
  16. "Wales 20mph: Lee Waters to face Tory no confidence vote". BBC News. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  17. "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.
  18. "Wales road-building plans have been 'simply unaffordable', according to deputy climate minister". Sky News. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  19. 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.