Role and Powers of the FM

Question 1

What are the three roles and powers of the FM?

Answer 1

Lead the Scottish government
Appoint and reshuffle cabinet ministers and secretaries
Represent Scotland at home and abroad

Question 2

What is a cabinet secretary?

Answer 2

An MSP who is responsible for a specific area of devolution i.e education

Question 3

Who is the education secretary?

Answer 3

Jenny Gilruth

Question 4

Who the secretary for finance?

Answer 4

Shona Robison (she is also depute FM)

Question 5

What does it mean to lead the scottish government?

Answer 5

One role of the First Minister of Scotland is to lead the Scottish Government. This means that the First

Minister makes the final decision on what each of the departments of government do in devolved areas

such as health and education.

Question 6

Who sets out priorities for the Scottish Government and responds to public events as they happen?

Answer 6

The First Minister

Question 7

Who is the First Minster

Answer 7

Humza Yousaf

Question 8

In order for a law to be passed the FM needs at least half of the 129 MSPs to vote in favour.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

What scandal has Humza Yousaf recently offered condolences for?

Answer 9

Those affected by the Postmaster Scandal

Question 10

What is one of Humza Yousaf’s main priorities for his government?

Answer 10

Tackling all forms of poverty in the name of equality.

Question 11

What did former FM Nicola Sturgeon lead the Scottish Government to introducing for free?

Answer 11

Free travel for all under 22s

Question 12

What does it mean for the FM to represent Scotland at home and abroad?

Answer 12

This means as the head of the Scottish

government it is their responsibility to speak and act on behalf of Scotland in areas that are devolved.

Question 13

The FM is responsible for representing Scotland in the media attending news interviews …

Answer 13

True

Question 14

Where did Humza Yousaf travel to, to seek support for Scotland’s case for re-joining the EU

Answer 14

Brussels

Question 15

What does it mean to appoint secretaries and ministers

Answer 15

As First Minister they will select other MSPs from the Scottish Parliament to take

responsibility for the different departments of the Scottish Government.

Question 16

Why does appointing ministers and secretaries make the FM powerful?

Answer 16

They choose people who support and strengthen their cause and it makes them appear very powerful and it strengthens their position in power

Question 17

The FM is very powerful as they get lots of media attention and they can be very vocal about issues important to them

Answer 17

True - Humza Yousaf used this power to push for calls for a ceasefire

Question 18

Why does the Gender Reform Act make the FM look weak?

Answer 18

As westminster blocked a bill that Scotland had pushed so heavily for and had the final say.

Question 19

As the First Minister one of their roles is to choose who is in charge of each government department this means that they have the power to reward those loyal to them and punish or remove those they don’t think are good enough. Powerful or not powerful?

Answer 19

powerful

Question 20

As the government doesn’t have a majority in parliament other parties can try and get their policies passed in a deal with the government but only if the First Minister approves it. powerful or not powerful?

Answer 20

Not powerful

Question 21

What political party do the SNP have to rely on to pass their budgets and bills?

Answer 21

The Greens

Question 22

during

the Covid-19 Pandemic Scotland couldn’t close the borders to international travel as only

Westminster and the Prime Minister have that power.

Answer 22

True

Question 23

Even

though they are in charge of the government and have a lot of power

because of the number of MSPs they have in parliament, they must

still go there every week and answer questions that sometimes

embarrass them and their government. Powerful or nor powerful?

Answer 23

Not powerful

Question 24

the First Minister has had to agree a deal with the Greens so that their governments budget passed each year since 2016.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

each week

the First Minister takes part in First Ministers Question time on a __________ afternoon at 12 pm.

Answer 25

Thursday