2. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 2 May 2017.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 2:16, 2 May 2017

Leader of the house, could we have a statement, please—and I think that you are deputising in the absence of the Cabinet Secretary for rural affairs—on the way that the basic payments scheme is delivered in Wales? I do declare an interest, as a partner in a farming business in the Vale of Glamorgan. There have been huge concerns, not just in the Vale of Glamorgan but across Wales, where payments have been delayed because of the checks and inspections regime that is undertaken, and the inability for the department to keep farmers in the loop as to how their claims are progressing. I, like you, in the Vale of Glamorgan do have constituents who still, at this point—in May, now—have outstanding claims still to be paid. It is very difficult for those individuals to be able to explain their positions to banks—who have been understanding when it comes to borrowing and, obviously, extending overdraft facilitates—when they are unable to secure information from the department as to why their claim has been held up or how their claim is progressing. I do think that we do need a statement from the Cabinet Secretary to give us an understanding, as Members, of how the department deals with these queries and, importantly, what lessons have been learned, because this year does seem to be a particularly difficult year in dealing with farms that have been inspected and have obviously have had outstanding queries for them to receive their payments.

Cabinet

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.