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A new report published by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) concludes that the Government should either comply with the Ministerial Code or rewrite it. 

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• Inquiry: Ministerial Statements and the Ministerial Code
• Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

The Committee shares the concerns of the Speaker of the House of Commons and MPs about the Government’s failures to adhere to the Code in this Parliament and believes the current situation to be untenable. 

In the report, MPs set out their view that the easiest solution to current concerns would be for the Government to re-commit to the ‘Parliament First’ approach. If that is not the Government’s preference, then a consultation with MPs and the Speaker’s Office should be undertaken on how to ensure the Code is revised in order to reflect the evolved demands of media. 

The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of ministers and provides guidance on how they should act and arrange their affairs to uphold those standards. In May of this year, the Speaker of the House wrote to PACAC about ministers breaching the code by announcing the 'most important’ policies to the media before addressing Parliament. 

PACAC concludes it is not possible to produce rigid criteria as to what constitutes the ‘most important’ policy announcements and that Members of Parliament should assess the Government’s compliance on a case-by-case basis.  

In the absence of an oral statement, the Committee recommends for Members to utilise urgent questions as a mechanism to hold Ministers to account.

The Committee also urge the Government to make greater use of written ministerial statements in order to ensure MPs are informed about published documents which relate to announcements. 

Comment from the Chair

Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Simon Hoare MP, said:  

“The Government must take its responsibilities to Parliament under the Ministerial Code seriously. It is not a political version of pick ‘n’ mix.  It is the crucial mechanism for ensuring accountability to Members of Parliament and, therefore, the public. 

“If Ministers are not willing to follow the current principles of the Code, a way forward should be found in consultation with MPs and the Speaker.  We cannot have a continuation of the Speaker reprimanding Ministers in the Chamber, for the Minister to offer some sort of apology or justification only for the same breach of the Code to happen a few weeks later.  Parliament cannot be sidelined and Parliament will not let itself be sidelined.  All of our constituents deserve better. 

“A failure to address this issue risks perpetuating the cycle of growing discontent between Parliament and the Government. It is in everyone’s best interests to avoid this.” 

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