Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:50 pm on 9 July 2024.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:50, 9 July 2024

Well, for all of the shouting and the finger pointing, I think the Leader of the Opposition hasn't been listening to what I've been saying. Listening is important in Government and in politics, and, if you look at what I have been saying, the negotiations are continuing with the UK leadership and with the Mumbai leadership. We're not going to undertake those negotiations in public about what a better deal for steel looks like. In the limited window we have left after the Conservatives have quit the pitch, although, frankly, they were hardly active players over the last few years on these issues, we will understand whether we've been able to secure a better deal with a significant additional co-investment available, with a significant additional ambition for the future of steel, and I just do not believe that any of the Member's words or angry protestations will carry any impact in steel communities. They know who has been on their side and who still is on their side, and they know where he rests in that equation.

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.

leader of the opposition

The "Leader of the Opposition" is head of "Her Majesty's Official Opposition". This position is taken by the Leader of the party with the 2nd largest number of MPs in the Commons.

Conservatives

The Conservatives are a centre-right political party in the UK, founded in the 1830s. They are also known as the Tory party.

With a lower-case ‘c’, ‘conservative’ is an adjective which implies a dislike of change, and a preference for traditional values.