Why the climate change ministry might be scrapped

Over the years the structure of the Welsh Government has chopped and changed, and like any large organisation - there is no one perfect model. Back in the early days of devolution, pre and post-16 education was split between two departments. Great for giving dedicated focus to schools and colleges, but not so great when the government wants to improve 14-19 education.

At the last reshuffle, Mark Drakeford created a new “super ministry” that brought together all the main levers for tackling climate change. At the time this was widely welcomed, but over the last few years we’ve seen the downside of enormous departments. The climate change department brings together housing, energy, transport, planning, decarbonisation, and natural resources.

Just two of these topics - housing and planning are enormous in their own right. Housing isn’t just about the supply of new homes; it includes regulating housing associations, tackling homelessness, and housing quality. Planning might seem straightforward but alongside planning policy, the minister has special legal powers to decide on nationally significant or controversial planning applications.

Even with a dedicated and talented minister and deputy minister, it’s a big job - so many are now wondering whether we will see it broken up. One option could be to move infrastructure (things like transport and energy) back into the economy department. Vaughan Gething’s manifesto has stressed his desire to do more to harness the economic opportunities of climate change - but there’s always a risk that the social and environmental aspects of subjects like energy and transport will be forgotten if they are shifted into an economy department.

Other things to look out for include what the newly beefed-up minister for north Wales will do. Where will ‘Cinderella’ subjects like social care, skills, and international development go? And will there be an obvious seat at the cabinet table that might be offered to Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds down the line?

All of this is alongside the need to build a gender and geography balanced cabinet, and of course, appointing a ministerial team that the wider Welsh Labour group in the Senedd can rally behind.

We’ll see in the coming days what these changes are - but remember: when the new ministerial portfolios are handed out pay attention not just to who’s who, but also who’s doing what.

Published: 21 March 2024