What is the structure of the executive?

Question 1

1a. Who is the most important member of the executive?
1b. What role does the prime minister have within the Cabinet?
1c. How can the prime minister organise the structure of government?

Answer 1

1a. The prime minister.
1b. He chairs the Cabinet and manages its agenda. Also appoints all members of the Cabinet and junior ministers, also deciding who sits on Cabinet committees.
1c. He can create, abolish or merge departments.

Question 2

1a. What is the second most important component of the executive?
1b. How many ministers does it consist of?
1c. Is it possible to attend Cabinet meetings even if you aren’t a member?
1d. Who provides the government with administrative support?
1e. What type of decisions are taken in Cabinet committees.

Answer 2

1a. The Cabinet
1b. 20 to 23
1c. Yes, several senior figures attend meetings.
1d. The Cabinet Office, which is headed by the Cabinet Secretary, the UK’s most senior civil servant.
1e. These decisions focus on particular areas of policy, such as economic affairs and national security.

Question 3

1a. What is the third most important component of the executive?
1b. What are they responsible for?
1c. Who heads and supports them?

Answer 3

1a. Government Departments
1b. For an area of policy, e.g. the Ministry of Defence, Department for Transport.
1c. Headed by a Cabinet minister, and supported by several junior ministers who are responsible for specific aspects, of the work of the department.

Question 4

1a. What is the fourth most important component of the executive?
1b. Give an example of one, and talk about what it does:

Answer 4

1a. The Executive Agencies
1b. Semi-independent bodies that carry out some of the functions of government departments. The DVLA is overseen by the Department for Transport.