The Welsh Government has marked its first 100 days in office by highlighting progress against a series of commitments aimed at improving public services, supporting families and strengthening the economy.
Since the Cabinet first met on 18 May, ministers have focused on laying the foundations for long-term reform across key areas including healthcare, education, employment and support for children and families.
Among the milestones achieved during the Government's first 100 days are measures designed to tackle NHS waiting times, boost educational outcomes and provide greater certainty for businesses and rural communities.
The Welsh Government says significant progress has already been made on several priority areas, including:
- Confirming increased incentives for teacher training to help attract more people into the profession.
- Expanding funded childcare provision, benefiting hundreds of additional families across Wales.
- Extending Free School Meals to more secondary school pupils from September, with schools delivering the provision throughout the term.
- Securing a multi-year funding agreement for Welsh farmers, providing greater stability and certainty for the agricultural sector.
- Announcing a new north-south coach service to improve connectivity between communities across Wales.
- Establishing an expert group to develop plans for new surgical hubs as part of wider efforts to reduce NHS waiting times.
- Continuing discussions with the UK Government on funding arrangements, HS2 consequential funding, environmental justice for coalfield communities and the case for a new Wales Bill.
To improve transparency and accountability, the Welsh Government has also launched a new digital priorities dashboard.
The online platform allows members of the public to track progress against commitments outlined in The First 100 Days Plan. It provides information about actions being taken and includes data designed to demonstrate the impact those actions are having on people's lives.
Officials say the dashboard represents the first phase of the initiative and will continue to evolve as more information becomes available.
Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution, Dafydd Trystan Davies, said:
"The direction of this Welsh Government is clear, and these first 100 days have shown that we won’t accept drift or delay when action is needed.
"On this, the 100th day since Cabinet first met, I'm pleased to publish our new priorities dashboard, reflecting our commitment to openness and continued transparency.
“Today is an important early milestone, but it's just the start. We have been laying the building blocks for long-term change and begun delivering on our promise to improve people's lives.
"Our task now is to keep building a stronger economy, stronger public services, and a fairer Wales where everyone has the opportunity to succeed – and that work will continue without delay."
While the first 100 days have focused on establishing policies and programmes, ministers say the emphasis will now move towards delivering measurable improvements for communities across Wales.
With healthcare recovery, education reform, economic growth and improved public services high on the agenda, the Government says the work undertaken so far is intended to provide a platform for sustained change over the coming years.
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