The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 23 Sep 2020 Closed: 27 Sep 2021 Parliament page
The status of the Prime Minister’s Office (“Number 10”) is opaque. The gov.uk website description says “the office helps the Prime Minister to establish and deliver the government’s overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the government’s policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences.” Nominally, it is a … Read more
1 Recommendation
8 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
2 Events
Activity timeline 6 events
21 Sep
2021
Report published
9 Jun
2021
Report published
10 Nov
2020
Oral evidence
10 Nov
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
13 Oct
2020
Oral evidence
13 Oct
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
10 Nov 2020
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The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office
Fiona Hill CBE Jonathan Powell Polly Mackenzie Prof Sir Geoff Mulgan CBE Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP
13 Oct 2020
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The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office
Alex Thomas · Institute for Government Dr Catherine Haddon Dr Patrick Diamond
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office HC 67 9 Jun 2021 9 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
9 results
1 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
The lack of a statutory definition of the roles of the Prime Minister or the...
The lack of a statutory definition of the roles of the Prime Minister or the Cabinet in the UK has been reflected in the evolution of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Office. As Prime Ministers have … Read more
Government Response
The Office of the Prime Minister and wider Cabinet Office work closely together, and draw on the same finance, HR, technology and business services. The Cabinet Office supports the Prime … Read more
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2 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
There should be a clearer delineation between those resources provided to support the Prime Minister...
There should be a clearer delineation between those resources provided to support the Prime Minister and the support for collective government and cross-government activity more generally. (Paragraph 36) Accountability
Government Response
The Office of the Prime Minister and wider Cabinet Office work closely together, and draw on the same finance, HR, technology and business services. The Cabinet Office supports the Prime … Read more
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3 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
The Office of the Prime Minister is nominally a business unit of the Cabinet Office.
The Office of the Prime Minister is nominally a business unit of the Cabinet Office. However, it currently it appears to operate with even less transparency than other Cabinet Office business units. The Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts do … Read more
Government Response
The Annual Report and Accounts includes narrative sections on some business units’ work, to help illustrate how the department is working to deliver its priorities. However, these are not intended … Read more
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4 Recommendation
First Report - The role and status…
We do not consider the status of the Office of Prime Minister as a business...
We do not consider the status of the Office of Prime Minister as a business unit to be an accurate reflection of the role that it plays. Yet it currently operates with even less transparency that this status suggests. For … Read more
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5 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
In its Single Departmental Plan, the objectives of supporting the Prime Minister should be disaggregated...
In its Single Departmental Plan, the objectives of supporting the Prime Minister should be disaggregated from the support provided to the Cabinet or the Government more generally.
Government Response
The Annual Report and Accounts includes narrative sections on some business units’ work, to help illustrate how the department is working to deliver its priorities. However, these are not intended … Read more
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6 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
We have heard little evidence to support the creation of a separate Department for the...
We have heard little evidence to support the creation of a separate Department for the Prime Minister. The current Office of the Prime Minister is too small and much of its workforce too transient to be sensibly treated as a … Read more
Government Response
The Annual Report and Accounts includes narrative sections on some business units’ work, to help illustrate how the department is working to deliver its priorities. However, these are not intended … Read more
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7 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
Whilst the creation of a separate department would help to resolve some of the accountability...
Whilst the creation of a separate department would help to resolve some of the accountability issues that have concerned us in this inquiry, these could be resolved more easily through greater transparency within the existing arrangements. (Paragraph 50) 22 The … Read more
Government Response
The Annual Report and Accounts includes narrative sections on some business units’ work, to help illustrate how the department is working to deliver its priorities. However, these are not intended … Read more
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8 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
Increasing the direct accountability of the most senior Spads in Number 10 in this way...
Increasing the direct accountability of the most senior Spads in Number 10 in this way would reflect the quasi-executive role that some have assumed. However, to do so would be to accept this quasi-executive role. The principle that “advisers advise, … Read more
Government Response
Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRAGA 2010), and are employed to serve the objectives of the Prime Minister, … Read more
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9 Conclusion
First Report - The role and status…
The role of Special Advisers in Number 10 has evolved to such a degree that...
The role of Special Advisers in Number 10 has evolved to such a degree that some have played a quasi-executive role. This is wrong. It undermines both ministerial accountability to Parliament and collective responsibility on the part of Cabinet. Ministers, … Read more
Government Response
Special Advisers are appointed in accordance with Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRAGA 2010), and are employed to serve the objectives of the Prime Minister, … Read more
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