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.

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 from 12.00pm each Thursday for 40 minutes 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. The present format involves the leader of the largest opposition party asking the First Minister six questions, with the leaders of the two next largest opposition party asking two questions. Other members within the chamber may ask a single question, should time permit.

Previous leaders involved in First Minister's Questions

Party key	width="1" bgcolor="Template:Scottish National Party/meta/color" \|	Scottish National Party
	width="1" bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Conservative
	width="1" bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Labour
	width="1" bgcolor="Template:Scottish Green Party/meta/color" \|	Scottish Green Party
	width="1" bgcolor="Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color" \|	Liberal Democrats

First Minister		Main Opposition Leader		Secondary Opposition Leader		Tertiary Opposition Leader		Years
rowspan="2" width="2" bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Donald Dewar	rowspan="8" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Scottish National Party/meta/color" \|	Alex Salmond	rowspan="18" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	David McLetchie	None		1999–2000
John Swinney	Donald Dewar	2000
	rowspan="1" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color" \|	Jim Wallace	2000
	rowspan="1" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Henry McLeish	2000–2001
	rowspan="1" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color" \|	Jim Wallace	2001
	rowspan="3" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Jack McConnell	2001–2004
Nicola Sturgeon	2004–2005
Nicola Sturgeon	Annabelle Goldie		2005–2007
rowspan="13" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Scottish National Party/meta/color" \|		Alex Salmond	rowspan="10" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Jack McConnell	rowspan="10" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color" \|	Nicol Stephen	2007–2008
Wendy Alexander			2008			Nicol Stephen
Wendy Alexander			Tavish Scott	2008
Iain Gray			Tavish Scott	2008–2011
			Willie Rennie	2011
	Ruth Davidson			2011-2019
Johann Lamont				2011–14
Iain Gray				2014
Iain Gray		Nicola Sturgeon		2014
Kezia Dugdale				2014–2016
rowspan="3" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Ruth Davidson		rowspan="3" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" \|	Kezia Dugdale	rowspan="3" width="1" bgcolor="Template:Scottish Green Party/meta/color" \|	Patrick Harvie	2016–2017
Richard Leonard	Ruth Davidson		2017-2019
Richard Leonard	Jackson Carlaw		2019-

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 power-sharing arrangement is to enable the leaders of the main unionist and nationalist parties to work together in the Executive Office. 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.

Wales

In Wales, the Senedd holds First Minister's Questions. Members of the Senedd have up to forty-five minutes to question the Welsh First Minister on issues regarding the responsibilities of the Welsh Government.^[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]

References

^ "Public tickets: Tickets for First Minister's Question Time". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
^ "About: First Minister of Wales: First Minister's Questions". Welsh Government. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
^ Browne, Adrian (12 January 2010). "Carwyn Jones debut marks calmer new dawn". BBC News.
^ Alun Michael, First Secretary (19 May 1999). "Questions to the First Secretary" (PDF). The National Assembly for Wales (The Official Record). p. 6.

External links

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[1] "Public tickets: Tickets for First Minister's Question Time". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2017.

[2] "About: First Minister of Wales: First Minister's Questions". Welsh Government. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.

[3] Browne, Adrian (12 January 2010). "Carwyn Jones debut marks calmer new dawn". BBC News.

[4] Alun Michael, First Secretary (19 May 1999). "Questions to the First Secretary" (PDF). The National Assembly for Wales (The Official Record). p. 6.

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