First Minister's Questions

First Minister's Questions is the name given to the weekly questioning of the leaders of devolved administrations in the United Kingdom. First Minister's Questions works in a similar way to Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland Questions to the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (or simply First Minister's Questions) is taken jointly by the First Minister and deputy First Minister. This dyarchy is to enable the leaders of the main unionist and nationalist parties to work together in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly are allowed half an hour to put questions to the ministers. The questions are tabled in advance by the MLAs.

Scotland

First Minister's Questions is the name given to Question Time in the Scottish Parliament, in the course of which the First Minister of Scotland spends half an hour on each Thursday that the parliament is in session answering questions from Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).^[1] There are additional sessions during the Parliamentary week at which other ministers are called upon to answer subject-specific and general questions.

Wales

In Wales, the National Assembly for Wales holds First Minister's Questions. Assembly Members have up to forty-five minutes to question the Welsh First Minister on issues regarding the responsibilities of the Office of the First Minister and the Welsh Government as a whole.^[2] The session was initially titled First Secretary's Questions,^[3] and was renamed when the position of First Secretary for Wales was renamed to First Minister in 2000. The first session took place on 19 May 1999.^[4]

See also

• Northern Ireland Executive
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government

References

External links

• Northern Ireland Assembly
• Scottish Parliament
• Welsh Assembly