Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Rejected
Replace 'should' with 'must' in the Ministerial Code's general principle on announcements.
Recommendation
We consider the word ‘should’ in the general principle to be ambiguous without good cause. Replacing it with the word ‘must’ would send a clear signal to Ministers and others about the expectations of the House and give confidence to the electorate that Members can do their scrutiny jobs effectively. (Recommendation, Paragraph 35)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government rejects the recommendation to change 'should' to 'must' in the Ministerial Code, arguing it is not always possible to make announcements to the House first, particularly when Parliament is not sitting.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
The Government rejects the recommendation at paragraph 35. As the Committee itself has recognised, it is not always possible for the Government to make announcements to the House first, for example, when the House is not sitting.
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