Building Trust in Politics and Politicians

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 14 May 2024.

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Photo of Tom Giffard Tom Giffard Conservative 2:16, 14 May 2024

Thank you, First Minister. Last week the Llywydd noted that, on marking 25 years of devolution, this was a people's Senedd and not a politicians' Parliament. In fact, she said it wasn't Sam Kurtz's Parliament, and I do agree with that. [Laughter.] Now, many people who have raised issues around this Bill with me have mentioned not only, obviously, the increase in the number of politicians, but a number of changes they feel takes that, if you like, sentiment away from the people of Wales and makes it less like the people's Parliament that it should be, whether it's the change to the voting system, whether it's enacting the changes without a referendum, or, indeed, the various amendments that were not supported by the Government to introduce a system of recall for Members where electors feel that their mandate should not continue. Now, I understand from what the Counsel General said last week that there does appear to be a degree of cross-party support for the system of a recall. Can you assure the Senedd that that will be in place ahead of the next Senedd elections in 2026?

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.