Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 22 May 2024.
Màiri McAllan
Scottish National Party
Planning and consenting are key to realising the enormous social and economic benefits of our energy transition and net zero journey. Therefore, I regularly discuss those issues with my ministerial colleagues, including, most recently, this morning, when I, together with the Minister for Climate Action and the Minister for Public Finance—who are with me in the chamber—met senior officials to discuss a range of related matters, including how we ensure that our planning system can protect our natural environment on the one hand and be a key enabler of decarbonisation and green economic growth on the other, and, crucially, how our communities can be supported and empowered in that respect.
Following the adoption of NPF4 in 2023, we are monitoring its implementation and taking action to support the application of its policies in practice.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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.
