Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government – in the Senedd at 1:54 pm on 5 July 2017.
Janet Finch-Saunders
Conservative
1:54,
5 July 2017
Thank you again. Of course, local authorities spending on central administration is set to rise by £11 million this year, whilst spend on roads and transport will fall by £2.73 million, and on libraries, culture, heritage, sport and recreation by almost £4 million. The Welsh Labour Government have talked the talk on more streamlined local government, but these figures suggest increased bureaucracy and red tape. Years of uncertainty over reform and reorganisation has not helped in the slightest. Cabinet Secretary, can you suggest why these costs are set to rise so dramatically, and will you commit to ensuring that there is solid and responsible budgeting in this area?
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.
