Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:50 pm on 17 October 2017.
Andrew RT Davies
Conservative
1:50,
17 October 2017
First Minister, economic intelligence and input and output tables are well understood in the development of public policy the length and breadth of Governments around the world. It was a relatively straightforward question that I opened this series of questions with. When you look at the challenges that the Welsh economy faces—putting Brexit to one side—on automation, for example, which one of your backbenchers has highlighted time and time again in this Chamber, by 2025, we will lose 15 per cent of the jobs in the workplace as we understand them today. By 2035, we are set to lose 35 per cent of the jobs in the workplace as we understand them today; 2035 is only 18 years away. You have no ability—and I reiterate this—you have no ability to use the tools that other Governments use the length and breadth of the world and, in particular, in devolved contexts, such as Scotland. Will you commission a unit here in Wales to support the development of public policy on input and output policy for economic intelligence, First Minister?
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.
