Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:14 pm on 11 June 2024.
Vaughan Gething
Labour
2:14,
11 June 2024
The Member sets out again the case for reform that we have committed to in the past. I look forward to delivering a legislative statement that shows how we will take forward measures that we are committed to. On the bus Bill and the coal tip safety Bill, those won't be the technical titles of the Bills, but both of those will deliver a real difference, I believe, in providing a legislative statement to allow us to invest in a future that makes sense, because we do know that, for all of our investment in rail, it is making a real difference in the communities served by rail. There are many others, including in my own Constituency, but also all around Wales, that are only served by bus. We need greater sense in how the buses are regulated and how we invest in a system that is truly sustainable. Work has already taken place in some other parts of the UK. I look forward to working with a future UK Labour Government to do so on the bus Bill, and indeed on coal tip safety. The legislation needs to come alongside the willingness to work together and to recognise some of the responsibilities are reserved, some are for us to deliver. A partnership with willing people who recognise the legacy we are now dealing with is exactly what we need for her community and many others around Wales.
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.
A proposal for new legislation that is debated by Parliament.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent