Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Accepted
Streamline the entrustment process for international agreements by publishing MoJ guidance and training.
Recommendation
Aware that time is often of the essence when negotiating international agreements, we recommend that the Ministry of Justice and the Crown Dependencies work together to identify how the entrustment process could be streamlined, speeded up and improved, and adapt their ways of working where necessary to achieve this, with the objective of achieving a signed off letter within an ambitious timeframe. A useful first step in helping to speed things up would be to improve understanding of the process across Whitehall and, to this end, we recommend the Ministry of Justice publishes a ‘How To Note’ on entrustment, accompanied by awareness-raising training for UK Government departments on the topic. (Paragraph 60) The constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies 33
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, committing the Ministry of Justice to work with Crown Dependencies and across Whitehall to streamline the entrustment process, raise awareness, and provide clear guidance. Specifically, they will produce a new ‘How-To-Note’ on entrustments and include the topic in training for government departments.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
43. The Crown Dependencies are territories for which the UK is responsible in international law and the Government is responsible for their international relations. 44. Given this, it is important that relevant Government departments are consulted and give approval before any Letter of Entrustment is issued. The time needed to conclude the consultation on each proposal will vary depending on the complexity of the subject matter. 45. The Government recognises however that the timely consideration and granting of entrustment requests, where appropriate, is important in enabling the Crown Dependencies to pursue their own interests in specified areas. 46. The Ministry of Justice will work across Whitehall, and with the Crown Dependencies, to explore how the Government can make the entrustment process more efficient and effective. The Ministry of Justice will also raise awareness and understanding of the entrustment process across Whitehall and provide clear guidance on how to handle entrustment requests from the Crown Dependencies. 47. The Government accepts the Committee’s recommendation that the Ministry of Justice should produce a new ‘How-To-Note’ on entrustments for the Crown Dependencies and should also include this topic in its training and awareness-raising activities with other departments.