– in the Scottish Parliament at on 25 February 2021.
Stuart McMillan
Scottish National Party
3. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Inverclyde health and social care partnership regarding either a replacement for, or investment in, Port Glasgow health centre. (S5O-05059)
Jeane Freeman
Scottish National Party
Port Glasgow health centre is one of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s priorities for investment in community infrastructure. However, the Scottish Government has not received any proposals for it as yet. We will review any proposals that are submitted in due course.
Stuart McMillan
Scottish National Party
I spoke recently to Jane Grant, the chief executive of the health board, regarding the Port Glasgow health centre. I am pleased that the discussions were very helpful.
However, does the Cabinet secretary agree that, as the £8 million Orchard View hospital in Greenock has been built and the £20 million Greenock health centre is nearing completion, replacement of the ageing Port Glasgow health centre would provide my constituents with a truly first-class facility, in addition to proving yet again the commitment of the Scottish National Party to invest in health facilities in Inverclyde?
Jeane Freeman
Scottish National Party
I agree with Stuart McMillan’s view. The Scottish Government is committed to the health service and improving it, not only in Inverclyde but across Scotland. We do that in the face of a cut to capital resource of 5 per cent from the Westminster Government, within which we have a cut of 67 per cent of financial transactions, so the envelope that we are working in is significantly curtailed.
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.
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