Ministerial Statements and the Ministerial Code

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 12 Jun 2025 Parliament page
This inquiry will consider whether the Ministerial Code adequately sets out what the House should expect of Ministers making the most important announcements of government policy. We will ask whether those requirements are observed with sufficient rigour by Ministers. Additionally, we will consider the appropriate balance in deciding between a … Read more
11 Recommendations
18 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
3 Letters
2 Events
Activity timeline 7 events
4 Jun
2026
Report published
9 Jan
2026
Report published
3 Sep
2025
Oral evidence
16 Jul
2025
Oral evidence
15 Jul
2025
Correspondence
8 Jul
2025
Correspondence
12 Jun
2025
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
3 Sep 2025
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Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP · Department for Transport Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP
16 Jul 2025
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Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP · Department for Transport Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and the Ministerial Code HC 1036 9 Jan 2026 29 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
9 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Ministerial Code reaffirmed as suitable for government policy announcement principles
The general principle in the Ministerial Code relating to important announcements of government policy has recently been reaffirmed when the Prime Minister republished the Code in October 2025. We concur that the Ministerial Code is a suitable document to contain … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees the general principle in Chapter 9 of the Ministerial Code should be broadened to reflect ministerial accountability principles from Chapter 1, committing to update the language at the next available opportunity.
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2 Conclusion Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Uncertainty surrounds appetite for new House Protocol on ministerial statements
Ministerial accountability to Parliament is well established irrespective of its inclusion in the Ministerial Code. Nevertheless, it is uncertain whether there is a current appetite to replicate the principles in relation to ministerial statements in the form of a new … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that the General Principle in Chapter 9 of the Ministerial Code should be broadened to reflect ministerial accountability principles from Chapter 1, and commits to updating the language at the next available opportunity.
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3 Conclusion Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
General agreement on Ministerial Code expectations serves everyone's best interests
Even though the Ministerial Code is a government document, it is in everyone’s interest for there to be general agreement of the expectations flowing from its letter and spirit. (Conclusion, Paragraph 17)
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation and commits to updating the language in Chapter 9 of the Ministerial Code at the next available opportunity. This update will broaden the 'General Principle' to reflect and ensure consistency with Chapter 1 on ministerial accountability.
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4 Conclusion Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Frequent accusations of Ministerial Code breaches create an undesirable situation
We believe the current situation where the Code sets a high bar for expectations which is regularly subject to accusations of being breached is undesirable. (Conclusion, Paragraph 18)
Government Response
The government acknowledges the Committee's concerns about the Ministerial Code setting an undesirable high bar for expectations and commits to updating its language.
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5 Conclusion Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Ministerial Code fails to effectively encapsulate ministerial accountability to Parliament
We believe that as currently drafted the Ministerial Code does not encapsulate effectively the general principle governing the relationship between ministers and Parliament. The general principle would be better framed around general government and ministerial accountability to Parliament. Any direction … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees the Ministerial Code's "General Principle" wording should be broadened to reflect ministerial accountability to Parliament and commits to updating the language in Chapter 9 at the next available opportunity.
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12 Recommendation Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Ministerial Code's 'Parliament first' principle needs modernisation to reflect changed media environment.
However, the media environment has changed significantly in recent years, and the provisions on the need to make the most important statements of government policy to Parliament first have remained substantively the same since the Code was introduced in 1997. … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the committee’s recognition and acknowledges concerns about the Ministerial Code as currently drafted, committing to update its language to reflect the 'Parliament first' principle at the next available opportunity.
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20 Conclusion Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Concentration of statements and urgent questions limits time for other House business
Sitting time is finite and there will always be a tension between the various demands of the House. Statements and urgent questions play an important role in the effective scrutiny of government, but in concentration they can significantly affect the … Read more
Government Response
The government notes the conclusion, explaining its current practice of balancing oral statements with other parliamentary business and avoiding them on Opposition days where possible, while acknowledging that Urgent Questions are a matter for the Speaker.
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24 Recommendation Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Enhance use of written ministerial statements to inform Members of document publication
We encourage the Government to make more effective use of written ministerial statements to inform Members about the publication of documents related to major government announcements, even when those announcements may themselves be the subject of an oral statement. (Recommendation, … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to update the House through written ministerial statements and encouraging departments to table written statements alongside oral ones.
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25 Conclusion Accepted
4th Report - Ministerial Statement…
Sanctioning individual ministers for Ministerial Code breaches remains problematic due to shared responsibility
For most breaches under the Ministerial Code in relation to paragraph 9.1, it is difficult to conceive of the circumstances that would result in sanctions against an individual minister, given that the Code specifies the Prime Minister as being a … Read more
Government Response
The government states the Prime Minister is already regularly held to account by Parliament through established mechanisms like PMQs and Liaison Committee appearances. These forums provide ample opportunity for Members to question determinations on ministerial conduct and sanctions.
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Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 11 classified
Accepted 9
Accepted in Part 5
Acknowledged 9
Deferred 3
Rejected 3
Total 11 recs + 18 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
15 Jul 2025 From committee Letter to Sir Laurie Magnus CBE, Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on Ministerial Statements and the Ministerial Code Inquiry, dated 12.6.25
Parliament page
8 Jul 2025 To committee Letter from Sir Laurie Magnus CBE, Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards on Ministerial Statements and the Ministerial Code Inquiry, dated 30.6.25
Parliament page
12 Jun 2025 To committee Letter from the Speaker of the House of Commons on Paragraph 9.1 of the Ministerial Code, dated 23.5.25
Parliament page