Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 8 October 2025.
Annabelle Ewing
Scottish National Party
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its relations with the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. (S6O-05026)
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
The Scottish Government welcomes collaboration between Scottish parliamentarians and members of other Parliaments, including through the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly—known as BIPA. BIPA provides a useful platform for members of the Scottish Parliament to engage with counterparts across these islands. I thank Ms Ewing and the other Scottish members of BIPA for their contributions to that. I am particularly pleased to welcome the reconvening of the BIPA plenary, which will take place in Weybridge from 12 to 14 October.
The Scottish Government also places great value on our partnership with Ireland, as is seen in the Ireland-Scotland bilateral framework. The framework acknowledges the importance of BIPA in deepening parliamentary connections.
Annabelle Ewing
Scottish National Party
As the Cabinet secretary rightly acknowledges, the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly plays an important role in bringing together parliamentarians from across these isles to debate the important issues of the day. Further to recent changes to its committee structure—which I would say is excellent—representatives of the devolved and other jurisdictions can now play a critical role in the work of the committees. Will the cabinet secretary undertake to contact the BIPA secretariat to reconfirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to the assembly and, where appropriate, to offer support?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
The new Ireland-Scotland bilateral framework 2025 to 2030 reasserts our commitment to BIPA. Specifically, it commits the Scottish Government and the Irish Government to strengthening parliamentary links and recognising the role that the British-Irish Parliamentary Association plays in that regard, with regular contact between the Oireachtas and the Scottish Parliament. Although the framework itself will not be published until 26 November, we can give a supportive reply.
So, the answer is yes, I would be happy to undertake to contact the BIPA secretariat to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to BIPA and to offer appropriate support.
Kenneth Gibson
Scottish National Party
Regular co-operation with other Governments across the British Isles is vital. At the interparliamentary finance committee forum in March, 13 parliamentarians from 11 parties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland met to discuss issues of mutual interest. However, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones MP, offered only to appear virtually—which was eventually downgraded to a 15-minute slot. A freedom of information request showed his diary to be empty other than for work on the spending review that was then some 12 weeks away. Does the Cabinet secretary share my concern, and that of other parliamentarians across the devolved Assemblies and Parliaments, that a United Kingdom Minister seems to be happy to show devolved Administrations such casual disrespect?
Alison Johnstone
Green
Please answer with regard to the substantive question.
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
First, I take the opportunity to publicly welcome Mr Jones to his role as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, following the UK Government’s latest reshuffle.
It is crucial that UK Government ministers engage meaningfully with devolved Governments and parliamentarians, especially in relation to the budget, given the impact that spending decisions at Westminster have on Scotland. Given that he now has responsibility for intergovernmental relations, I urge Mr Jones to pursue a good level of engagement with me and my ministerial colleagues, as well as with the Parliament and parliamentarians.
More broadly, the Scottish Government welcomed the UK Government’s commitment to reset its relationships with the devolved nations; however, we have become increasingly concerned about the extent to which that relationship has truly been reset. Several high-profile problems in intergovernmental working have occurred over the first year of the UK Government’s term. I hope that Mr Jones takes note of that and works to forge better collaboration, to ultimately benefit the people of Scotland.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Question 2 has been withdrawn.
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.
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.
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.
The Chancellor - also known as "Chancellor of the Exchequer" is responsible as a Minister for the treasury, and for the country's economy. For Example, the Chancellor set taxes and tax rates. The Chancellor is the only MP allowed to drink Alcohol in the House of Commons; s/he is permitted an alcoholic drink while delivering the budget.
