Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 15 May 2024.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 2:34, 15 May 2024

Well, Janet, can I deal with the substance of your question rather than the political points that you're making? The substance of your question is to do with the environmental governance within Wales, and it is a factor of our withdrawal from the EU that we lost that framework, and we now have to put in place—. And I give credit, I have to say, to the interim assessor, and a very small unit, for the work that they've done already. But I'm glad, I think, taking it from the comments that you've made, that we have your support for the work that we will bring forward on the environmental governance and biodiversity targets Bill, which will actually fill those gaps that we have now lost. That will put in place not only a permanent environmental governance body, which is important—we need that—but it will drop down those environmental principles. We always made clear in Wales that we will not take a step back, and I would ask for consistency from all Members of this Chamber, then, when we come to difficult decisions on environmental matters, that we stand steadfast with it, in line with the well-being of future generations approach as well. And we will also put in place, following the COP on biodiversity last year, which my predecessor Julie James attended, all those targets that drop down from the United Nations high targets into Welsh domestic targets as well. That it is the way to proceed. If you don't mind, I'll ignore the politics that you're trying to make of what is actually a very serious and substantive issue, but thank you for your support.

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.