The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning () is a member of the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

in the

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( ) is the Executive (government), executive arm of the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of Cabinet secretary, cabinet secretaries and Minister of State, ministers. It is led by the F ...

. The current officeholder is Rebecca Evans since September 2024. The position was titled ''Minister for the Economy and Transport'' from 2007 to 2011. The Minister had responsibility for the Department for the Economy and Transport, which combined two

devolved Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories ...

functions of the Welsh Government: Business and Economy, and Transport. The department was created in June 2007, as successor to the Department for Enterprise Innovation and Networks, following the National Assembly for Wales elections in May 2007. Deputy First Minister

Ieuan Wyn Jones Ieuan Wyn Jones (born 22 May 1949) is a Welsh politician who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Government from 2007 to 2011. He was the Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency from 1999 to 2013, and ...

AM was appointed to the post in July 2007, succeeding Dr Brian Gibbons AM, who had been Minister since the previous month, and held the position until 13 May 2011. The role was renamed Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science during

Edwina Hart Edwina Hart, MBE (born 26 April 1957) is a Welsh LabourAssem ...

's tenure in office from 2011 to 2016. The post adopted the previous title of Economy Minister under Hart's successor,

Ken Skates Kenneth Christian Skates (born 2 April 1976) is a Welsh Labour politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales since March 2024. Skates has represented the constituency of Clwyd South in the Senedd since the elect ...

Ministers

Responsibilities

Following the "yes" vote in the Welsh referendum of 1997, certain

Westminster government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

and

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

powers were devolved to the

National Assembly for Wales The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

by the

Government of Wales Act 1998 A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

. This included the power to determine how their budgets are spent and administered. These powers were increased by the

Government of Wales Act 2006 The Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the then-National Assembly for Wales (now the Senedd) and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily. The Act creates a system ...

. Among those powers are Business and Economy, and Transport, for which the Minister for the Economy and Transport had responsibility within the Welsh Assembly Government. The department's funding was allocated by the Welsh Assembly Government, following agreement of its annual budget. The Department for Economy and Transport's stated objectives were to: * create jobs across Wales * stimulate enterprise and growth * enhance skills for jobs

Business and economy

The Minister was responsible for supporting businesses in Wales, including growth and development, inward investment, provision of premises, commercial and industrial environmental improvements, and exports. Policy for the allocation of European Union Structural Funds in Wales, and its administration, was in the remit of the Minister.

Transport

The Minister was responsible for transport policy in specific areas. The Minister's main priorities were: development of an integrated transport system in Wales; construction, improvement and maintenance of

trunk roads A trunk road is a major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom, Sweden and formerly Ireland. Trunk roads are planned and managed at the national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk ro ...

and motorways in Wales;

Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...

passenger rail services; road safety strategies including speed limits, pedestrian crossings and on-street parking. The Minister also oversaw the provision of other public transport services, such as buses.

The Department

Following the National Assembly for Wales elections on 3 May 2007, the Welsh Assembly Government restructured its departments. The former Department for Enterprise Innovation and Networks was absorbed into the new Department for the Economy and Transport on 1 June 2007. Dr Brian Gibbons was appointed to the post of Minister for the Economy and Transport on its creation. A coalition government was formed by the Labour Party and

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; , ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left, Welsh nationalist list of political parties in Wales, political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from th ...

on 7 July 2007. The resulting reshuffle of the Cabinet was announced on 19 July 2007, which saw

AM (Member of the

for Ynys Môn) appointed to the posts of

Deputy First Minister for Wales The deputy first minister of Wales () is the deputy leader of the Welsh Government. The post was created in October 2000 when Mike German, Baron German, Mike German of the Welsh Liberal Democrats was appointed Deputy First Minister as part of a ...

and Minister for the Economy and Transport. James Price, as acting Director General, Economy and Transport was the senior civil servant responsible for the department. After the 2011 Welsh general election, the department was abolished and replaced with the department of Business, Enterprise and Technology.

References