Recommendations & Conclusions
9 items
8
Recommendation
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
The term ‘most important’ is inevitably subjective. However, it is the responsibility of ministers individually and the Government collectively to be aware of the expectations of Parliament and maintain the confidence of the House. We do not believe that it is practical to produce rigid criteria to make decision-making more …
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The term ‘most important’ is inevitably subjective. However, it is the responsibility of ministers individually and the Government collectively to be aware of the expectations of Parliament and maintain the confidence of the House. We do not believe that it is practical to produce rigid criteria to make decision-making more objective but believe the membership of the House can assess the Government’s compliance with this aspect of the principle on a case-by-case basis. Government should pay close attention to the mood of the House and, where concern is raised, give serious consideration to adjusting the thresholds they are using to evaluate the importance of policy or other announcements. (Conclusion, Paragraph 29)
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Government response AI summary
The government fully recognises the House's scrutiny role and outlines current considerations for oral statements, stating the Leader of the House will continue working with ministers to ensure timely updates. However, it does not commit to specifically adjusting thresholds for importance based on the mood …
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9
Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
In the context of the Code as currently drafted, making the most important statements in the first instance to Parliament means doing so before they are made to the media and not at the first available opportunity thereafter. Apart from exceptional circumstances it should be considered a breach of the …
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In the context of the Code as currently drafted, making the most important statements in the first instance to Parliament means doing so before they are made to the media and not at the first available opportunity thereafter. Apart from exceptional circumstances it should be considered a breach of the general principle, and disrespectful to the House, for an announcement considered to be one of the most important to be made to the media first, even if it is repeated to the House later that same day. (Conclusion, Paragraph 34)
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns and the need to balance parliamentary accountability with effective public communication in a changing media environment, stating it will look to update the language of the Ministerial Code.
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11
Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
Careful regard needs to be given by government to the balance between a legitimate trailing of a statement and the deliberate or inadvertent provision of information to the media that is so substantive that it could be considered a breach of the general principle set out in the Ministerial Code. …
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Careful regard needs to be given by government to the balance between a legitimate trailing of a statement and the deliberate or inadvertent provision of information to the media that is so substantive that it could be considered a breach of the general principle set out in the Ministerial Code. (Conclusion, Paragraph 39) 35
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns, recognizing the need to balance parliamentary accountability with effective public communication in a changing media environment, and states it will look to update the language of the Ministerial Code.
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14
Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
It is not possible to have an exhaustive list of all the circumstances which could be considered an exception to the normal principles relating to the making of major policy announcements. We accept that there are various such circumstances, including factors beyond the control of the Government, such as where …
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It is not possible to have an exhaustive list of all the circumstances which could be considered an exception to the normal principles relating to the making of major policy announcements. We accept that there are various such circumstances, including factors beyond the control of the Government, such as where announcements may be international. We expect the House to be sympathetic on those occasions when a good argument is made for an announcement being made exceptionally in breach of the general principle in the Ministerial Code. (Conclusion, Paragraph 43)
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Government response AI summary
The government partially accepts this conclusion, recognizing that it is not always possible to notify the House of major announcements first and committing to making details available at the earliest appropriate opportunity when exceptions arise.
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16
Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
The Speaker has represented the dissatisfaction of the House, through statements made in the Chamber and when setting out the concerns of Members across the House when he wrote to us in May 2025. We share his concerns and note this is a longstanding issue for which successive governments have …
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The Speaker has represented the dissatisfaction of the House, through statements made in the Chamber and when setting out the concerns of Members across the House when he wrote to us in May 2025. We share his concerns and note this is a longstanding issue for which successive governments have been criticised. (Conclusion, Paragraph 48)
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Government response AI summary
The government fully recognises the importance of House scrutiny and states the Leader of the House will continue to work with Ministers to ensure timely and appropriate updates. They also list various existing ways the government keeps the House informed.
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19
Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
We believe that scrutiny is improved when Members have greater access to relevant information, and we recognise that publication of significant documents in advance of statements could meet the ‘Parliament first’ principle while allowing Members time to put together more substantive questions for a later oral statement. (Conclusion, Paragraph 57)
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We believe that scrutiny is improved when Members have greater access to relevant information, and we recognise that publication of significant documents in advance of statements could meet the ‘Parliament first’ principle while allowing Members time to put together more substantive questions for a later oral statement. (Conclusion, Paragraph 57)
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Government response AI summary
The government welcomes the committee's recognition that timely document publication and written statements improve scrutiny, but highlights challenges with current procedural requirements for written ministerial statements. It seeks the views of the House and Procedure Committee on modernizing notice arrangements for written statements.
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21
Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
The House has regularly considered issues relating to sitting times and the prioritisation of business. The Government can propose, and the House can consider, procedural options to mitigate these issues in the short term, for example, notwithstanding Standing Orders or agreeing to Business of the House motions. It is also …
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The House has regularly considered issues relating to sitting times and the prioritisation of business. The Government can propose, and the House can consider, procedural options to mitigate these issues in the short term, for example, notwithstanding Standing Orders or agreeing to Business of the House motions. It is also able to consider the findings of wider reviews, to provide sustainable long-term changes in this area. We believe this is beyond the remit of this inquiry, but it is an issue that another committee of the House may want to address. (Conclusion, Paragraph 62)
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Government response AI summary
The government notes the conclusion and states it already balances oral statements with other business, avoiding overuse of ad hoc motions to maintain certainty of sitting times.
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Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
Urgent questions are the most effective and timely remedy currently available to Members to hold ministers to account in the absence of an oral statement. The Speaker holds important powers to protect the interests of 38 the House and, despite the concerns expressed about the onus this puts on the …
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Urgent questions are the most effective and timely remedy currently available to Members to hold ministers to account in the absence of an oral statement. The Speaker holds important powers to protect the interests of 38 the House and, despite the concerns expressed about the onus this puts on the Speaker to ensure a reasonable level of accountability, we recognise that urgent questions are a vital mechanism to help hold the government of the day to account. (Conclusion, Paragraph 85)
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Government response AI summary
The government fully recognises the House's opportunity to scrutinize decisions and acknowledges the Speaker's role in granting Urgent Questions as a vital mechanism for accountability.
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29
Conclusion
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and…
Acknowledged
By adhering to the general principle in the Ministerial Code and making the most important announcements of government policy in the first instance in Parliament, the need for Members to seek redress through the mechanism of the urgent question will likely reduce. (Conclusion, Paragraph 86) 39
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By adhering to the general principle in the Ministerial Code and making the most important announcements of government policy in the first instance in Parliament, the need for Members to seek redress through the mechanism of the urgent question will likely reduce. (Conclusion, Paragraph 86) 39
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Government response AI summary
The government recognises the importance of House scrutiny and states the Leader of the House will continue to work with Ministers to ensure timely and appropriate updates. They also list various existing mechanisms for keeping the House informed.
Read full response →