Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:15 pm on 24 January 2017.
Lynne Neagle
Labour
4:15,
24 January 2017
Can I thank the First Minister for his statement? I warmly welcome this white paper and I’m also very pleased that the Welsh Government has worked with Plaid Cymru to develop this. I think that the threat of Brexit is so immense that it is going to be essential for all of us who want to put the interests of Wales and our communities first to work together. I’ve got two particular questions. As the first Minister knows, my Constituency is very dependent on manufacturing, in particular on automotive. I welcome the commitment in this document to maintain the widest possible access to the single market, but can I ask what other steps the First Minister intends to take to ensure that the automotive sector is protected, including how he intends to raise the needs of the automotive sector in his discussions with the UK Government?
Last week, I attended a conference at Swansea University to look at the implications of Brexit on children and young people in Wales. Concerns were expressed at that conference that so far there seems to have been fairly little consideration at Government level of the implications for children and young people, and I’m sure that you’re also aware that many young people feel very angry that a decision so crucial to their futures was taken for them by others voting in the referendum. I welcome the commitment in this document to ensuring the views of children and young people are listened to, but can I just ask for some more detail, please, on how the Welsh Government intends to make this a reality going forward?
A document issued by the Government laying out its policy, or proposed policy, on a topic of current concern.Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. This is a contrast with green papers, which are issued less frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation.
More from wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_paper
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
