Part of 3. Questions to the Counsel General – in the Senedd at 3:45 pm on 23 April 2024.
Mick Antoniw
Labour
3:45,
23 April 2024
I don't give legal advice specifically on that last point. It is obviously important that all contractual arrangements that are entered into by public bodies are resilient. I know, for example, that the contract in respect of reclamation with Tower colliery, where there was an escrow account as well, is one that does appear to have worked and been fulfilled. In terms of the broader direction of the question that you're raising with me, I think that is one that should be raised again with the appropriate Cabinet Secretary.
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.
