The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Closed
Inquiry
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 …
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4
Recommendations
5
Conclusions
1
Report
2
Oral sessions
2
Events
Activity timeline 4 events
21 Sep
2021
2021
9 Jun
2021
2021
Report published
10 Nov
2020
2020
Oral evidence
13 Oct
2020
2020
Oral evidence
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 · Future Resilience Forum
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
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| 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
Accepted
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 …
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Government Response
The government describes the close working relationship and shared resources between the Prime Minister's Office and the Cabinet Office, highlighting recent organizational changes such as a new Delivery Unit in No10 and a Government Strategic Management Office.
2
Recommendation
Acknowledged
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 government describes the existing integrated structure of the Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Office, notes recent structural changes, and acknowledges there is scope for further consideration and continuous improvement of systems.
3
Conclusion
Rejected
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 …
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Government Response
The government explains that narrative sections are not for all business units and that separating the Prime Minister's Office would be misleading due to its integrated relationship with the Cabinet, asserting the current approach is appropriate.
4
Recommendation
Rejected
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 …
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Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to report on the Prime Minister's Office activities as it does for other business units. It argues that doing so would be misleading and difficult due to the historical and ongoing close relationship and overlapping responsibilities between the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
5
Recommendation
Rejected
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 government rejects the recommendation, stating that disaggregating the Prime Minister's support from the Cabinet's would be misleading and difficult due to their historically close relationship and overlapping responsibilities. They explain that the Annual Report and Accounts do not cover all business units.
6
Conclusion
Accepted
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 …
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Government Response
The government explains the difficulty in delineating the work of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and highlights existing efforts through Outcome Delivery Plans and the Declaration of Government Reform that aim to improve planning, performance, and collective working at the centre of government.
7
Conclusion
Not Addressed
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 …
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Government Response
The government explains the difficulty in delineating the work of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for transparency purposes and points to existing initiatives like Outcome Delivery Plans and the Declaration of Government Reform to improve general government efficiency and accountability.
8
Conclusion
Accepted
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, …
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Government Response
The government states that the existing Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, along with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and Model Contract, already provide clear parameters for their roles and ensure ministerial accountability. It asserts that the current Code sufficiently clarifies what Special Advisers may and may not do.
9
Recommendation
Accepted
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, …
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Government Response
The government asserts that the roles and accountability of Special Advisers are already clearly defined by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the Code of Conduct, and that Ministers remain fully accountable for their actions within these existing parameters.