EXTRA-Ministers, their backgrounds and roles Flashcards
When referring to ministers, who does this refer to?
the 100 government members, including Cabinet ministers, ministers of the state, and parliamentary under secretaries
In accordance with constitutional convention, traditionally where have all ministers within the government come from?
from the HOC and HOL
Which PM brought in non-political outsiders to be ministers?
Gordon Brown
Who was Sir Jones who was chosen as a non-poltiical outsider to be a minister by Gordon Brown?
he was the former director general of the CBI
How do politicians normally need to prove themselves in order to become a minister?
they must prove themselves in the HOC and as a junior minister before entering the Cabinet
Ministers have no training so how do they become specialised on their department?
they study their brief quickly and then to work themselves into the job
What 4 qualities will help advancement to be a minister?
ambition
talent
managerial skills
record of loyalty
how many ministers of state and permanent sectaries are there?
c30 each
What are ministers of state and permanent secretaries collectively known as?
junior ministers
Who are below the junior ministers?
the parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs)
How many parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) are there?
40-50
What do parliamentary private secretaries do?
they are the general assistants of ministers and really act as ‘dogsbodies’
Are parliamentary private secretaries paid?
no
At the Department of Health under the Brown administration how many other ministers is the Cabinet minister backed by?
5
Who are ministers very realist on for the work in their department?
civil servants
