Welsh Government facts for kids

"Government of Wales" redirects here. For an overview of the political system of Wales, see Politics of Wales.

Quick facts for kids Welsh Government
Welsh: Llywodraeth Cymru
Devolved government

Overview
Leader	First Minister (Vaughan Gething)
Appointed by	First Minister approved by the Senedd, ceremonially appointed by the monarch
Main organ	Cabinet
Responsible to	Senedd
Annual budget	£18.4 billion (2019/20)
Headquarters	Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales

The Welsh Government (Welsh: Llywodraeth Cymru) is the government that runs Wales. It's a "devolved" government, meaning it has special powers to make decisions for Wales, separate from the main UK government. This government is made up of ministers and deputy ministers.

The person in charge is called the First Minister. This is usually the leader of the biggest political party in the Senedd (which is like the Welsh Parliament). The First Minister chooses the other ministers and deputy ministers. The Senedd then has to approve these choices.

The Welsh Government's main job is to create plans and policies for areas like health, education, transport, and local services in Wales. They then put these plans into action after the Senedd approves them. Currently, the Welsh Government is led by Vaughan Gething and is a Labour minority government.

How the Welsh Government Started
Who Works in the Welsh Government?
- Ministers
The Civil Service in Wales
Where the Welsh Government Works
Images for kids
How the Welsh Government Gets Its Money
See also

How the Welsh Government Started

The Welsh Office: Before Devolution

Before 1999, many decisions for Wales were made by the Welsh Office. This was a part of the UK Government. It was led by the Secretary of State for Wales. This person was a UK government minister, not someone directly chosen by voters in Wales.

Over time, many people in Wales felt that decisions about their country should be made by people they elected. This led to calls for "devolution," which means giving more power to Wales. The Welsh Office was closed in 1999, and its powers went to the new Welsh Assembly.

The First Welsh Government: 1999 to 2007

The Welsh Assembly was created after people in Wales voted for it in a referendum in 1997. At first, the Welsh Government wasn't fully separate. It was like a committee of the Assembly. This meant the Assembly as a whole had to agree to give powers to its ministers.

But things changed with a new law in 2006. This law made the Welsh Government and the Welsh Assembly (now called the Senedd) officially separate. After the elections in 2007, Welsh ministers got their own powers. This made the Welsh Government more like the UK Government or the Scottish Government, with its own clear role.

What Changed After 2007?

The new rules helped make it clear what each part did. The Welsh Government's job is to:

Make decisions for Wales.
Create and carry out policies.
Manage government tasks.
Make smaller laws (called statutory instruments).

The 60 members of the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament) have different jobs. They:

Check the government's decisions and policies.
Make sure ministers are doing their jobs well.
Approve the money the Welsh Government spends.
Pass new laws for Wales on subjects that are devolved.

Who Are the Welsh Ministers?

The First Minister is chosen by the Senedd and then officially appointed by the King. The First Minister then picks other Welsh ministers and deputy ministers. The King also approves these choices.

There's also a special role called the Counsel General for Wales. This person gives legal advice to the Welsh Government. The Counsel General is also appointed by the King, based on the First Minister's choice. They don't have to be a member of the Senedd. The Welsh Government can have up to 12 ministers (including deputy ministers), plus the First Minister and the Counsel General. So, the maximum size is 14 people.

More Law-Making Powers: 2011 Referendum

In 2011, people in Wales voted again in a referendum. This time, they voted to give the Welsh Government even more power to make its own laws.

Now, the Welsh Government can suggest bills (ideas for new laws) to the Senedd in 20 different areas. These laws can be as powerful as those made by the UK Parliament. The 20 areas where the Welsh Government can make decisions and laws include:

Farming, fishing, and forests
Old buildings and historical sites
Culture
Growing the economy
Education and training
The environment
Fire and rescue services
Food safety
Health and social care
Roads and transport
Housing
Local councils
The Senedd itself
Public services
Social support
Sports and fun activities
Tourism
Town planning
Water and flood protection
The Welsh language

Renaming the Government

In 2011, the "Welsh Assembly Government" started calling itself the "Welsh Government." This name change became official in law in 2014.

Who Works in the Welsh Government?

The Welsh Government is made up of cabinet secretaries and ministers. The Counsel General is also part of the Cabinet. The current government is a minority government led by Welsh Labour.

Job Title		Area Represented	Party	Start Date
First Minister	Vaughan Gething MS	Cardiff South and Penarth	Labour	2024
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office	Rebecca Evans MS	Gower	Labour	2024–
Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government, and Planning	Vacant
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care	The Baroness Morgan of Ely MS	Mid & West Wales	Labour	2021–
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language	Vacant
Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport	Ken Skates MS	Clwyd South	Labour	2024–
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs	Huw Irranca-Davies MS	Ogmore	Labour	2024–
Trefnydd (House Leader) and Chief Whip	Jane Hutt MS	Vale of Glamorgan	Labour	2024–
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice	Vacant
Cabinet Secretary for Education	Lynne Neagle MS	Torfaen	Labour	2024–
Counsel General	Vacant			2021–

Ministers

Job Title		Area Represented	Party	Start Date
Minister for Mental Health and Early Years	Jayne Bryant MS	Newport West	Labour	2024–
Minister for Social Care	Dawn Bowden MS	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney	Labour	2024–
Minister for Social Partnership	Sarah Murphy MS	Bridgend	Labour	2024–

The Civil Service in Wales

The Welsh Government also has a team of civil servants. These are people who work for the government but are not elected politicians. They help the ministers carry out their work. As of 2018, there were over 5,000 civil servants working for the Welsh Government.

The civil service rules are set by the UK Parliament. So, Welsh Government civil servants follow the same rules as other civil servants in the UK. However, their main job is to serve the Welsh ministers and the Welsh Government.

The Permanent Secretary

The Permanent secretary is the most senior civil servant in the Welsh Government. This person leads the civil service team and makes sure everything runs smoothly. The Permanent Secretary also works with other top civil servants across the UK.

Here are the people who have been the Permanent Secretary for the Welsh Government:

Sir Jon Shortridge (1999 to 2008)
Dame Gillian Morgan (2008 to 2012)
Sir Derek Jones (2012 to 2017)
Dame Shan Elizabeth Morgan (2017 to 2021)
Andrew Goodall (2021 to today)

Government Departments

The Welsh Government is organized into different departments, each focusing on a specific area. This helps them manage all the different tasks. Some of these departments include:

The First Minister's Office
Finance and Operations
Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Economy, Treasury, and Constitution
Education, Social Justice, and Welsh Language
Public Services and Welsh Language
Health and Social Services

The Welsh Government Board

The Welsh Government Board helps turn the plans from the Welsh Cabinet into real actions. It makes sure that all the different government departments work together and use their resources well. The board is led by the Permanent Secretary and includes directors from different government groups.

Role	Name	Notes
Permanent secretary	Andrew Goodall
Director General, Chief Operating Officer	Tim Moss
Director General, Climate Change & Rural Affairs Group	Tracey Burke
Director General, Economy, Treasury & Constitution Group	Andrew Slade
Director General, Health & Social Services Group and Chief Executive of NHS Wales	Judith Paget
Director General, Public Services & Welsh Language Group	Sioned Evans
Director, Office of the First Minister	Des Clifford
Director, Legal Services	Vacant
Director, Propriety & Ethics	David Richards
Director, Finance	Gawain Evans
Director, People and Places	Dominic Houlihan
Director, Treasury	Andrew Jeffreys
Board Equality and Diversity Champion	Amelia John
non-executive director	Gareth Lynn
non-executive director	Meena Upadhyaya
non-executive director	Aled Edwards
non-executive director	Carys Williams

Other Organizations Supported by the Welsh Government

The Welsh Government is also in charge of many other organizations. These are called Welsh Government sponsored bodies (WGSBs). They include:

Executive WGSBs, like the Arts Council of Wales, which carry out specific tasks.
Advisory WGSBs, which give advice to the government.
Tribunals, like the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales, which handle legal cases.

These organizations are staffed by public servants, not civil servants. The Welsh Government also oversees other important public bodies, such as NHS Wales.

Where the Welsh Government Works

The Welsh Government has 18 main offices across Wales. It also has an office in Westminster, London. Plus, it has 7 special properties in Wales, like storage facilities and traffic centers.

To connect with other countries, the Welsh Government has 21 offices in 11 different countries around the world. These include places like Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, and the United States.

Historically, most Welsh government staff worked in Cardiff. However, since 2004, many civil servants have moved to new offices in places like Merthyr Tydfil, Aberystwyth, and Llandudno Junction. This helps spread government jobs across Wales.

The First Minister has an office in Tŷ Hywel in Cardiff Bay. They also have an office in the Welsh Government building in Cathays Park, where many civil servants in Cardiff work.

Images for kids

Cathays Park 1, Cathays Park, Cardiff – the original home of the Welsh Office
Cathays Park 2, Cathays Park is the home to many of the Welsh Government's civil servants
Tŷ Hywel, the office of the First Minister of Wales
Llandudno Junction offices
Aberystwyth offices

How the Welsh Government Gets Its Money

The Welsh Government gets most of its money (about 80%) from the UK Government. This amount is decided using a special calculation called the Barnett formula.

The other 20% of the budget comes from taxes collected in Wales. These include taxes on business properties, land sales, and landfill waste. The Welsh Government also gets a share of income tax paid by people in Wales. The Welsh Revenue Authority collects most of these Welsh taxes.

Every autumn, the Welsh Government announces how it plans to spend its money for the next year. The Senedd then carefully checks these spending plans.