Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 26 October 2023.
Mark Griffin
Labour
If the Government is relying on clinical advice that is now five years out of date to downgrade University hospital Wishaw’s neonatal unit, it is absolutely shocking that the Minister has not taken the time to meet the experts who run that unit. Will the minister commit to meeting the award-winning experts from
NHS Lanarkshire neonatal unit before progressing with the plans to downgrade that absolutely crucial life-saving unit?
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.
