Catherine's foreign minister, Nikita Panin (in office 1763-81), exercised considerable influence from the beginning of her reign.

The structure through which the minister of National Defense exercises the control and evaluates the activities developed in the Armed Forces.

However, in some instances Parliament has chosen to statutorily override this position by providing that the relevant minister must exercise the power in person.

In this capacity, the minister exercises day-to-day administrative and operational authority over the armed forces.

Ministerial powers can be conferred by an Act of the Assembly and ministers can also exercise executive powers which are vested in the Crown.

Likewise, ministers exercise various appellate functions in adjudicating between citizens and local authorities (such as appeals against a local authority's refusal of planning permission).

Promotion by merit rather than political influence has long characterized the British civil service, but outside the civil service ministers still exercise considerable patronage.

A minister may not exercise any other state function nor be a director or member of the organs of for-profit companies.

However, the doctrinal questions obviously remain and until they are clarified the Society has no canonical status in the Church and its ministers cannot legitimately exercise any ministry.

Lack of access led to the collapse of talks in Seattle and Cancun when ministers exercised the democratic right and said 'no'.