Deputy Minister for Transport

Deputy Minister for Transport of Wales
Dirprwy Weinidog dros Drafnidiaeth
Incumbent
Mark Hooper MS
since 13 May 2026 (2026-05-13)
Welsh Government
StyleWelsh Deputy Minister
StatusDeputy Minister
Member of
Reports tothe Senedd and the First Minister of Wales
SeatCardiff
NominatorFirst Minister of Wales
AppointerThe Crown
Term lengthFour years
Subject to elections to the Senedd which take place every four years
First holderSue Essex AM
Salary£101,443 (MS pay + £25,063 Deputy Minister pay)

The Deputy Minister for Transport (Welsh: Dirprwy Weinidog dros Drafnidiaeth) is a minister of the Welsh Government. It was previously a cabinet role known as the Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Welsh: Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Drafnidiaeth) until 2026. The current officeholder is Mark Hooper, since May 2026.

Holders of the role

Name Picture Entered office Left office Other offices held Political party Government Notes
Secretary for Transport
Sue Essex 22 February 2000 16 October 2000 Secretary for Environment Labour Michael administration [1]
Secretary for Planning Interim Rhodri Morgan administration
Minister for Transport
Sue Essex 2000 2003 Minister for Environment Labour First Rhodri Morgan government [2]
Minister for Planning
Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Transport
Brian Gibbons 13 May 2003 10 January 2005 Labour Second Rhodri Morgan government [3]
Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey 14 January 2005 2007 Labour Second Rhodri Morgan government [3]
Minister for Transport
Brian Gibbons 7 June 2007 2007 Minister for the Economy Labour Third Rhodri Morgan government [4]
Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure
Ken Skates May 2016 2017 Labour Third Jones government [5]
Cabinet Secretary / Minister for Transport
Ken Skates 2017 2021 Minister for the Economy Labour Third Jones government [6][7]
Minister for North Wales First Drakeford government
Deputy Minister for Climate Change
Lee Waters 13 May 2021 20 March 2024 Labour Second Drakeford government [8]
Cabinet Secretary for Transport
Ken Skates 21 March 2024 Cabinet Secretary for North Wales Labour Gething government [9]
Deputy Minister for Transport
Mark Hooper 13 May 2026 Incumbent Plaid Cymru ap Iorwerth government [10]

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.[11][12]

The position partly oversaw transport in Wales, with the position also referred to by derivatives of the old name such as "transport minister".[13][14][15]

Waters, the holder from 2021,[16] oversaw during his period in the position a changing of the default speed limit on restricted roads from 30mph to 20mph,[17] conducting a roads review involving scaling back new road construction,[18][19] and overseeing the impact of COVID-19 on public transport in Wales, such as buses.[20]

The ascendance of Vaughan Gething to the position of First Minister saw a new Cabinet formed, and the creation of the position of Cabinet Secretary for Transport. Ken Skates became the Cabinet Secretary and was also the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales.[21]

After the 2026 Senedd election, Mark Hooper was appointed as the Deputy Minister for Transport.[22]

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the post are:[23]

  • Transport
    • Transport policy
    • Transport for Wales
    • Roads, including construction, improvement and maintenance of motorways and trunk roads
    • Bus services
    • Rail services through the Wales and Borders franchise
    • Global Centre of Rail Excellence
    • Active travel
    • Aviation policy (including on Cardiff Airport)
    • Ports policy
    • Road safety; safer routes to schools; transport for children and young people; regulation of pedestrian crossings and on-street parking

See also

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. ↑ "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. ↑ "New First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to announce new Plaid Cymru cabinet". ITV News. 13 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Drakeford creates 'super-ministry' to combat climate change". The Planner. 14 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Mosalski, Ruth (13 May 2021). "Live updates as Mark Drakeford overhauls Welsh Government cabinet". Wales Online. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "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.
  14. ↑ "Highways Magazine - Welsh transport minister: You win some engineers you lose some". www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ "Mark Drakeford overhauls cabinet as Vaughan Gething replaced as health minister". ITV News. 13 May 2021.
  17. ↑ "Wales 20mph: Lee Waters to face Tory no confidence vote". BBC News. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "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.
  19. ↑ "Wales road-building plans have been 'simply unaffordable', according to deputy climate minister". Sky News. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ "Ken Skates MS: Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales | GOV.WALES". www.gov.wales. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  22. ↑ "Welsh Government Cabinet Appointments". Welsh Government. 13 May 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "Mark Hooper MS: Deputy Minister for Transport | GOV.WALES". GOV.WALES. Archived from the original on 15 May 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026. Text was copied from this source, which is available under an Open Government Licence v3.0. Crown copyright.
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