Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 71
To improve transparency, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case told the Committee that he considered the suggestion...
Recommendation
To improve transparency, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case told the Committee that he considered the suggestion that a register of direct appointments be maintained and published as “an obvious thing to do”.167 We agree and recommend that departments begin to compile and publish such registers immediately and that they are kept updated contemporaneously.
Government Response Summary
The government response discusses new guidance on Non-Corporate Communication Channels and reporting requirements for official business, but it does not address the recommendation to compile and publish registers of direct appointments.
Paragraph Reference:
71
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Government has issued new guidance on Non-Corporate Communication Channels which supersedes the 2013 guidance on use of private email. This guidance makes clear that “'Substantive government information' is information that materially impacts the direction of a piece of work or that gives evidence of a material change to a situation" and lays out reporting requirements. This guidance complements the Ministerial Code 8.14, which makes clear that significant discussions of official business should be reported back to officials: If a Minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present – for example at a social occasion or on holiday – any significant content should be passed back to the department as soon as possible after the event. The principle that any discussion of official business must be reported back to officials includes conversations conducted via WhatsApp or Zoom, or in social settings. 3.7 Widening the Range of Declarable Communications Committee on Standards in Public Life,