News

• ‘No wrong door’ approach to ensure people get help wherever they go
• No referral needed to prevent long waits for mental health support
• More than 300,000 contacts to NHS 111 press 2 mental health helpline

• 90% of farms claiming under the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Universal Layer and 94% of farms claiming under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) have now received their advance payment. 

• SFS and BPS advance payment rates were increased this year to 80% to help ease cash-flow pressure caused by this summer's dry weather 

• Building on previously announced support for the industry 

• Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper has set out plans to make Wales's transport network more resilient to climate change, in a Plenary statement today
  
  
• Specific action is being taken across rail, buses, roads and ports
  
  
• Future transport investment will be shaped by lessons from recent extreme weather, aiming to deliver networks that are both climate-resilient and low-carbon

• Welsh Government and Welsh Labour reach agreement on further investment  for Additional Learning Needs (ALN), enabling the Supplementary Budget for 2026-27 to proceed.
• Extra £60 million for ALN, as part of a wider package of investment first set out in June.
• Supplementary Budget to be laid before the Senedd on Tuesday 13 October and debated on 3 November.

• Eligible individuals are urged to come forward for their flu jab, COVID-19 booster and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine
• The RSV vaccine is separate and easy to forget
• RSV is a common virus that circulates every winter and can lead to serious illness

• The Minister will meet existing and potential investors and businesses in artificial intelligence, technology, and digital sectors during Boston visit.
  
  
• He will also attend a major international summit on emerging technologies, speak at Harvard about Wales' place in the AI revolution and meet Welsh diaspora.

The Welsh Government is marking International Day of the Girl today by reaffirming its commitment to ending period poverty and building a Period Proud Wales.

• New figures show there were 6,157 police-recorded hate crimes in Wales in 2025-26.
• With hate crime remaining at an unbearably high level, the Welsh Government is encouraging people to stand together against hate and support those affected by hate crime.
• The Deputy First Minister says everyone should be able to feel safe, valued and respected in their community.

• All bird keepers in Wales are urged to review biosecurity now, ahead of the higher-risk winter period 

• Strict biosecurity and hygiene is the most effective way to protect flocks from avian influenza 

• Biosecurity self-assessment checklists are available to help keepers identify and close any gaps 

Wales’ story is often told through our landscapes, townscapes and in the countless historic buildings and ancient monuments that are all around us.  According to major new research published today [Friday 9^th October], these historic places - known as the ‘historic environment’ - support nearly 18,000 jobs and contribute more than £738million to the nation’s economy every year.

• £10 million in Transforming Towns funding has been approved for regeneration projects across Wales, with Wrexham receiving £5 million of the total investment. 

• The Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning met with local artists at Tŷ Pawb to hear about their experiences of working and growing their businesses within the creative hub. 

• This funding delivers on the priorities set out by the Town Centre Taskforce, helping to create communities across Wales where people want to live, work and visit. 

• Employers, education institutions, trade unions, learners and training providers are gathering today at the Future Skills Summit in Swansea.
• Attendees are taking part in presentations and workshops to explore the biggest challenges facing the Welsh skills system.
• Insights from today's discussions will help shape a new national skills strategy.