Welsh Government

You may be more used to seeing the term ‘Welsh Assembly Government’ this was the terminology used until May 2011 when the new Government decided that it would be clearer and avoid confusion with the National Assembly for Wales by simply referring to itself as the Welsh Government. For more information on the difference between the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government click here.

The Welsh Government is responsible for: making decisions on matters which affect people’s daily lives; developing and implementing policy; making subordinate legislation (e.g. regulations and statutory guidance) and bringing forward a programme of Welsh legislation. Overall it is responsible for the day to day running of Wales in all of the devolved policy areas, these include the Health Service, education, housing, social services, agriculture, transport and many more. The work of the Welsh Government is led by the Ministers and delivered by Civil Servants.

The Welsh Government is made up of the First Minister, other Welsh Ministers, Deputy Ministers and the Counsel General. The First Minister is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen on the nomination of the National Assembly for Wales. The Ministers and Counsel General are appointed by the First Minister and approved by the Queen. The number of Ministers and Deputy Ministers cannot exceed 12. The Counsel General is the Chief Legal Adviser to the Welsh Government, he or she is not a Welsh Minister but is a member of the Welsh Government. The Counsel General can be an Assembly member but does not have to be, if s/he is not an Assembly Member they are entitled to take part in Assembly proceedings but not to vote.

The process means that generally the leader of the party that wins the most number of seats in an Assembly Election becomes the First Minister and that party become the party in Government. However, in the event of no party winning a majority of the seats it may be necessary for a coalition government to be formed as was the case in 2000 and 2007 (the Ministerial posts are then divided between the parties in coalition) or for a party to govern as a minority government as Welsh Labour chose to do after the 2011 election.

You can find more information about the Welsh Government on their website including a full list of Ministers and their portfolio areas of responsibility. The relationship between the Welsh Government and the third sector is set out in the Government of Wales Act 2006. It states that "Welsh Ministers must make a scheme ("the voluntary sector scheme") setting out how they propose, in the exercise of their functions, to promote the interests of relevant voluntary organisations."