QNR – in the Senedd at on 17 April 2024.
Mark Drakeford
Labour
Rebecca Evans
Labour
I wrote to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury in March to remind him of his commitment to set out the additional information the UK Government is seeking in relation to the proposal to introduce a vacant land tax in Wales. I have not yet received a clear answer.
Sam Rowlands
Conservative
Rebecca Evans
Labour
Ensuring we achieve value for money and effectiveness of our spending is crucial for those delivering public services in Wales. All Cabinet Secretaries are responsible for managing and monitoring the effectiveness of departmental spending within portfolios.
Mike Hedges
Labour
Rebecca Evans
Labour
Since its introduction, the invest-to-save programme has supported approximately 200 projects with an aggregate value in the region of £200 million. It has supported projects related to green growth, looked-after hildren and in a number of health boards. There is a residual amount of funding available, and we are managing legacy projects.
Buffy Williams
Labour
Rebecca Evans
Labour
I most recently met the Chief Secretary to the Treasury at the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee on 14 March. We discussed the implications of the UK spring budget on devolved government budgets, and I emphasised the need for additional funding and certainty for our own budget.
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 normal session there are up to ten standing committees on bills. Each has a chair and from 16 to 50 members. Standing committee members on bills are appointed afresh for each new bill by the Committee of Selection which is required to take account of the composition of the House of Commons (ie. party proportions) as well as the qualification of members to be nominated. The committees are chaired by a member of the Chairmen's Panel (whose members are appointed by the Speaker). In standing committees the Chairman has much the same function as the Speaker in the House of Commons. Like the Speaker, a chairman votes only in the event of a tie, and then usually in accordance with precedent. The committees consider each bill clause by clause and may make amendments. There are no standing committees in the House of Lords.
