Recommendation 13

Having received two pieces of written evidence from the Minister for the Cabinet Office, then Michael Ellis, we were astounded when he subsequently refused to give evidence to us on a topic of such importance to the UK’s national security and prosperity. We note that the then Defra Minister, Steve Double, stepped in at very short notice, having been in post for only ten days. We are also very grateful to Roger Hargreaves for providing helpful and informative oral evidence on the Cabinet Office’s behalf. Their actions only serve to underscore what a dereliction of duty it was for Mr Ellis to refuse to appear before us—not only in relation to his willingness to be accountable to Parliament, but also in what it suggests about his commitment to deliver for the public that he serves. We can only hope that his successor will take more interest in this vital topic.