Roles of ministers and departments

• Roles of ministers and their departments

  1. Draft legislation when it is needed

  2. Organise the passage of legislation through Parliament and speak in debates on the legislation

  3. Take decisions as part of the powers they have under secondary legislation

  4. Answer to Parliament through questions and by appearing in front of select committees
• Secondary legislation


  Orders made by ministers which require relatively little parliamentary control
• The power to make secondary legislation is given to ministers in primary legislation
• Primary legislation


  Legislation passed by Parliament
• Much of the business of government is conducted using secondary or delegated legislation
• Ministers


  Make secondary legislation
• Executive


  Conducts much of the business of government using secondary legislation