Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 7 December 2016.
Mark Isherwood
Conservative
1:37,
7 December 2016
Given that the Welsh Government promised to cut taxes for small businesses and instead extended the small business rate relief scheme, which had been temporary, this was described by the North Wales Federation of Small Businesses, which represents businesses from Arfon right across the region, as you know, as
‘blatantly misleading and the worst form of spin-doctoring.’
How, therefore, will you respond to the extra £16 million announced in the autumn statement for the Welsh Government to spend on business rates? I believe they said that they remain a huge financial burden for small businesses. At present, the rateable value of each business that pays business rates in Wales is only half that in England and the size of the firm, unlike England and Scotland, is not taken into account, putting smaller firms at direct disadvantage. So, how will you engage with small businesses in Arfon and their sector representatives, such as the Federation of Small Businesses, to address those concerns?
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.
