Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Conclusion 8

First Report - The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office Published 9 Jun 2021 Paragraph 56

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Conclusion (the committee's words)

Increasing the direct accountability of the most senior Spads in Number 10 in this way would reflect the quasi-executive role that some have assumed. However, to do so would be to accept this quasi-executive role. The principle that “advisers advise, ministers decide” should remain the practice and Ministers, including the Prime Minister, should remain accountable to Parliament for the conduct of their advisers. To this end, much greater clarity around the roles that Spads can play and their relationship with officials may be needed. The Committee will be undertaking a dedicated inquiry into Special Advisers later in the Parliament when we will consider this in more detail.

From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, First Report - The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office (HC 67), paragraph 56, 9 June 2021

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 21 September 2021 (deadline 9 August 2021).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government's response sets out existing arrangements for the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Office and Special Advisers, says there is "scope for further consideration" of the issues raised, and does not commit to the structural or reporting changes the Committee proposed.

On separating Prime Ministerial and Cabinet support, the Government says it "would potentially be misleading" to do so and that it "would be difficult to comprehensively delineate" which business units support which.
On transparency, the response says narrative sections in the Annual Report and Accounts "are not intended to cover all, or even most, business units", and that the Prime Minister's Office is one of many without one.
The Government says "We agree" that the benefits of improved cooperation across the centre can be achieved through "more and sustained collective working", and describes this as "already happening", citing Outcome Delivery Plans.
On Special Advisers, it says the Code of Conduct "provides clarity", that CRAGA 2010 means it is "not possible" for them to have played an executive role, and that Ministers "remain fully accountable" for their actions.

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