General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament am ar 26 Medi 2024.
Lorna Slater
Green
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published Holyrood park strategic plan, what the timeline is for Historic Environment Scotland to complete its movement strategy and deliver on its 10 objectives for the park. (S6O-03777)
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters for Historic Environment Scotland, including queries relating to the management of Holyrood park, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland, so I will ask HES to write to the member with a full reply to her question.
Lorna Slater
Green
Holyrood park’s legislation is decades out of date and does not align with council or Government climate targets or with the City of Edinburgh Council mobility plan. Will the Cabinet secretary look at updating the park’s legislation and consider reducing or restricting private car use in Holyrood Park in order to ensure that the park is net zero by 2030, as the new strategic plan sets out?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
Yesterday, I met the new chief executive of Historic Environment Scotland, Katerina Brown, and I am pleased to say that we have a shared ambition for Historic Environment Scotland. I am sure that she and her colleagues have been listening closely to what Lorna Slater has asked. Given her supplementary question, I will raise those issues with officials and will revert to her in writing.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Question 6 has been withdrawn.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.
