The Cabinet

The Cabinet is a group of about 20 senior ministers chosen by the Prime Minister to lead the main government departments. They normally meet once a week. The most senior posts include the Chancellor of the Exchequer (in charge of the Treasury and the public finances), the Home Secretary (the Home Office: police, immigration, security), the Foreign Secretary (the Foreign Office: international relations) and the Secretary of State for Health.

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Cabinet ministers must be either Members of Parliament or members of the House of Lords. They are bound by collective Cabinet responsibility: once a decision is taken, all Cabinet members must publicly support it or resign. Cabinet decisions are usually announced by the relevant Secretary of State.

You may be asked who is in charge of the public finances (the Chancellor), or what the principle of Cabinet collective responsibility is.

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These questions from the official-format question bank cover the same material. Tap any question to see the correct answer and a short explanation.

1. Who is responsible for the economy?
2. Who is responsible for crime and immigration?
3. Who is responsible for subjects such as education, health and defence?
4. The leader of the opposition appoints senior opposition MPs to be
5. What is the leader of the party that wins the election called?
6. Who makes a speech which summarises the government's policies for the year ahead?

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