Part of 2. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 1:32 pm on 19 July 2017.
Ken Skates
Labour
1:32,
19 July 2017
Well, can I thank the Member for her further question, and also thank her for the keen interest she’s shown in the visitor economy? The Valleys could benefit considerably from the growth in tourists to Wales in recent years. The thematic years, I think, have been particularly beneficial, being focused on the great outdoors, building on the primary purpose that people come to Wales for holidays for, which is to experience adventure, the great outdoors, outdoor discoveries. And I’m hoping that, in the years to come, communities in my colleague’s Constituency will benefit further from our initiatives.
In terms of the specific projects that the Member highlights, I do believe that the Crumlin Navigation colliery is probably the finest surviving group of former colliery buildings in Wales, and it’s been supported with financial resource from the Welsh Government to undertake reclamation works. It’s my hope that we will see further improvements there in the years to come.
In terms of the Cwmcarn forest drive, this is something that I know was incredibly popular when it was in operation. Perhaps we could look to the Year of Discovery in 2019 as a way, and as an opportunity, to reopen that drive. I think it would be fantastic to see it reopened. I do recognise the challenges—financial challenges—facing Natural Resources Wales, but we are looking for major events, new and innovative activities, which can be launched in 2019, and perhaps I could meet with the Member to run through the opportunities for that particular project and more widely in her constituency.
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.
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