Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip – in the Senedd at 2:39 pm on 18 September 2024.
Sioned Williams
Plaid Cymru
2:39,
18 September 2024
Diolch, Llywydd. You berate the Tories, rightly, for 14 years of austerity, but the Labour Government are continuing with that flawed and damaging fiscal approach. Two worrying statistics for you as we head into the winter months: the last available excess winter deaths statistics, which were for 2021-22, showed 240 people in Wales died due to living in a poor home. Age Cymru’s latest report, published before the announcement of this cut to the winter fuel payment, shows that only 7 per cent—7 per cent—of those they surveyed currently receive pension credit, while nearly half said they were finding living costs a real challenge. Older people, as we know, are more vulnerable to the cold, are more likely to have conditions and disabilities that mean they need to use more energy to keep warm, and they live in Wales in less fuel-efficient houses, and pay some of the highest rates for their energy. A constituent of mine from the Neath valley got in touch. Her husband has a serious heart condition, which means they have to keep the heating on all day. She described to me how absolutely worried she is about this cut. She’s a former nurse, who worked all her life, and this is how we repay that service. She is not eligible for pension credit. She is claiming everything she can; she’s still not going to be able to keep that house as warm as she wants to. So, what conversations have you had with the Cabinet Secretary for health on how our health and care services will cope with the inevitable increased demand?
The government chief whip, whose official title is parliamentary secretary to the Treasury, is appointed by the prime minister and is responsible to him.
The chief whip has to maintain party discipline and to try to ensure that members of the party vote with the government in important debates.
Along with the other party whips he or she looks after the day-to-day management of the government's business in Parliament.
The chief whip is a member of the Cabinet.
It is customary for both the government and the opposition chief whips not to take part in parliamentary debates.
The chief whip's official residence is Number 12 Downing Street.
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.
