Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 3:12 pm on 19 June 2024.
Huw Irranca-Davies
Labour
3:12,
19 June 2024
Thank you, James, for that supplementary question. Just to make clear again, NRW is not alone in facing budgetary challenges, and there are well-rehearsed reasons why, across all Cabinet Secretaries, Ministers, across all portfolios, from local authorities to our agencies and others, they are under significant strain, but having said that, following NRW's baseline review—and I was a member of the climate change committee that had the chair and chief executive in front of us assessing this over the last couple of years—we know the work that they've done on a baseline review to make sure that they're fulfilling their functions and their remit properly. NRW have received an £18.5 million uplift to its baseline budget for 2023-24; it's maintained its baseline budget for 2024-25 at the same level, which was allocated in 2023-24; and my officials are still working with NRW with the necessary support while we consider its remit and reviewing its activities.
But you are right in what you say: it is stretched, but let me say, as I always do—I pay tribute to the people who work within NRW because they are busting a gut, whether it's in a marine environment, a riparian environment, terrestrial environment, to do the right thing, and they're passionate and committed individuals. And when we sometimes look at the stretch that they are under, which is a real stretch, they are expert and professional people, they're doing all they can to use the resources available to direct their delivery to front-line services, but they are stretched, undoubtedly. But I want to thank them for the work that they're doing.
When you raised this previously, I think the First Minister responded to you and asked you whether you could write with any further information. If you could do that—. I haven't seen it yet; you may have written. But if you could do that, I'd be interested to receive it, and then I can respond to any detailed instances that you can illustrate.
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.
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.