Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:45 pm on 21 March 2017.
Mr Neil Hamilton
UKIP
1:45,
21 March 2017
Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. I’d like to wish the First Minister happy birthday, as well, and to assure him that, as you get older, there’s nothing to fear as long as you remain in rude health like me. The First Minister will agree—[Interruption.] The This Minister will agree, I’m sure, whatever our differing views on Brexit, uncertainty is to be deprecated, and the Prime Minister, at least, is about to resolve one uncertainty by triggering article 50. It’s regrettable, though, that Nicola Sturgeon has now sought to create another uncertainty over a referendum in Scotland, no doubt confident that the Prime Minister would refuse her request. I wonder if the First Minister would agree with me the best way to reduce this particular uncertainty is to call Nicola Sturgeon’s bluff and hold a referendum.
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.
