1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at on 3 May 2017.
David Melding
Conservative
7. What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with local authorities to ensure the innovative use of funding to secure local youth services? OAQ(5)0124(FLG)
Mark Drakeford
Labour
2:10,
3 May 2017
I thank David Melding for that. I have regular meetings with the local authority leaders across Wales, at which I discuss a wide range of financial matters. The Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh language recently made a statement here in the Assembly on the future of youth work delivery in Wales.
David Melding
Conservative
Do you agree with me that the key point here is to be innovative? Obviously, under circumstances when budgets are under stress, we have to look at other sources of funding or partnerships, and given the level of salaries for chief executives and senior executives in local governments—very much larger than the Welsh Government Ministers and the First Minister are paid—they are in a position to give that sort of leadership and innovation, and that’s the high level we should be expecting.
Mark Drakeford
Labour
Well, I agree with David Melding that in tough times innovative ways of providing very important local services have to be sought by local authorities themselves. Dirprwy Lywydd, if you don’t mind, I’ll just take the opportunity for a moment to give a small amount of publicity to our new innovate-to-save fund: £5 million-worth of funding, which comes as a result of reports produced in this Assembly, which will allow youth services and others to make applications for new and innovative ways of providing services. The closing date for the new fund is 23 May, and we hope very much to receive some applications in the area of children and youth services in Wales.
Ann Jones
Labour
2:11,
3 May 2017
Thank you very much. And finally, question 8—Sian Gwenllian.
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.
The language of Wales spoken by around 25% of the population. It is an Indo-European language and belongs to the Celtic group. It was made "offical" in Wales by the Welsh Language Act 1993. It is known in Welsh as Cymraeg.
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.
