Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Conclusion 24
Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
Published 15 Mar 2021
Paragraph 143
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Data Transparency and Accountability: Covid 19 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
It is deeply worrying that Ministers were unable to answer basic questions about the decision to lift the first lockdown. Proper Parliamentary scrutiny leads to better decision-making and builds trust. While this report does not comment on whether the Government made the right decision, the Committee expects Ministers to be able to justify the Government’s decisions and to explain the data underpinning them. Fielding Ministers who cannot answer questions is wilful evasion of scrutiny. Given how absolutely crucial that decision was for the health, wellbeing and fundamental freedoms of everyone in the country, the inability of Ministers to answer this Committee’s questions was lamentable and unacceptable.
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions (HC 803), paragraph 143, 15 March 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 May 2021 (deadline 15 May 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds point by point, agreeing with some aims but stating that it "does not agree that a change is necessary to the Ministerial Code" and, on several recommendations, referring to earlier letters or existing practice.
- On publishing data behind quoted statistics, it is "committed to transparency" and "will endeavour to publish all statistics and underlying data when referenced publicly", in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
- It disagrees with strengthening the Ministerial Code, stating that there will be occasions where it is in the public interest to use "emerging information", and it points to the existing wording that Ministers should be "mindful" of good practice.
- On the health data review, it agrees cross-organisational working matters and will "consider the merits of conducting a broader review" once the draft Data Strategy and other work are complete. It has agreed that the Office for Statistics Regulation will carry out a lessons learned exercise "once the immediate challenges of pandemic response have passed".
- It states that the Prime Minister confirmed on 12 May a statutory public inquiry that "will begin its work in spring 2022".