Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 14 March 2024.
Douglas Ross
Conservative
1. This week marked the start of Ramadan for Scotland’s Muslim community. I am sure that all members will join me in wishing everyone who is observing Ramadan peace and happiness.
For years, drug deaths have been Scotland’s national shame. This week, it emerged that the number has risen again—it is up by 10 per cent on the previous year. Humza Yousaf’s new Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, Christina McKelvie, was asked for her response. She said that “the plan is working”. Surely the First Minister cannot agree with that.
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.
