2. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 17 October 2017.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 2:19, 17 October 2017

Leader of the house, could I have two statements if possible, please? One in relation to the Welsh Government’s proposals about extending the eastern bay link, which is the missing part of the road network around Rover Way and joining on to the old A48 and M4. I’d be grateful if the Minister for transport or Cabinet Secretary for transport would consider issuing a statement to indicate what progress has been made to work up the proposals, and in particular who was involved in those proposals, and whether there is a Government timeline for delivery of this important part of the transport infrastructure to fill in the missing link that exists around the city of Cardiff.

The second statement I’d request, if possible, please, leader of the house, is from the Cabinet Secretary for the environment in relation to the incinerator in Barry. I know this is an issue that you as a Constituency Member are very familiar with, but I’d be very grateful if the Cabinet Secretary could issue a statement to outline precisely the role that Natural Resources Wales will be playing in determining the permit in relation to the incinerator down in Barry docks. Importantly, are NRW able to insist on an environmental impact assessment, which wasn’t requested at the start of the planning process? If that is the case, can the application be put on hold until that environmental impact assessment has been undertaken by the applicant? But what is more important is that clear timeline and understanding of the guidance that NRW work to on this important application, which obviously has considerable interest in the locality.

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.

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.

constituency

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