Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 1:30 pm on 7 December 2016.
Ken Skates
Labour
1:30,
7 December 2016
Yes, I do recognise the enthusiasm and support for the project. And, of course, I share the frustration of many about how long the project is taking. But it’s important to realise that this is a privately financed project, and the pace is not being driven by Government, nor is it in the control of Welsh Government. So, I would like to see a clear decision point by the company as early as possible in the new year. I can tell Members that, over the past few months, my officials have been working with the company, meeting with them on a weekly basis, and the company has confirmed that it has everything required of it from Welsh Government.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
