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Cabinet Information

The Cabinet is responsible for policy making in Rhondda Cynon Taf and takes many of the major decisions on the way the Council serves its residents. Similar to the way the UK Government has a Cabinet at Westminster and the Assembly Government has one in Cardiff Bay, Rhondda Cynon Taf has a Cabinet made up of ten Executive Members who have ultimate responsiblity for local Council services.

This page seeks to explain the role of the Cabinet and Executive Members in Rhondda Cynon Taf and covers some frequently asked questions (FAQs).

On this page, the following terms are commonly used:

• ‘Member’ – A County Borough Councillor of Rhondda Cynon Taf
• The ‘Executive’ / The ‘Cabinet’ - comprising the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Members
• ‘Executive Member’ – A Councillor who is a Cabinet Member with special responsibilities

What is the Cabinet?

The Cabinet is made up of the Leader, Deputy Leader and 8 other Executive Members who take key and significant decisions, whose role is to:

• Provide leadership
• Propose the budget and policy framework
• Implement policy through Chief Officers

The Cabinet’s Terms of Reference are set out in Section 3A of the Council’s Constitution.

What is an Executive Member?

Executive Members are Councillors with special responsibilities over an area of the Council's activities such as education, transport or social services. Their area of responsibility is known as their portfolio.

Who chooses the Leader and the Cabinet?

The Leader and Deputy Leader are elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Council and, under his / her Scheme of Delegation, the Leader appoints the Executive Members to serve in the Cabinet.

Why have a Cabinet?

Rhondda Cynon Taf adopted the Leader and Cabinet system in 2002 after the Local Government Act 2000 required Councils to change the way they made decisions and adopt a new system. Many Councils in England and Wales have adopted the Leader and Cabinet system of decision making.

What checks and balances are there?

The work and decisions of the Cabinet and Executive Members are scrutinised by the Council's Scrutiny Committees. Councillors have the right, in certain circumstances, to 'call in' a Cabinet decision for consideration by a Scrutiny Committee.

What is the role of Full Council in a Council with a Leader and Cabinet?

The Cabinet is an important part of decision-making in Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. However, Full Council (a meeting to which all Councillors are summoned) also has an important role to play. The Full Council:

• Approves or rejects the budget and policy framework
• Elects the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council
• Adopts the Constitution
• Appoints Committees to be responsible for overview and scrutiny functions and regulatory matters

The Council’s Constitution sets out which functions are the responsibility of the Council and Cabinet respectively. Council Constitution