13
Accepted in Part
Comply with the Ministerial Code or substantially re-write it in consultation with Parliament.
Recommendation
The responsibility for complying with the Code rests with the Government. The Government should either make every effort to comply with the Code, or to re-write it. Although it is the Prime Minister’s document, we expect that any substantial re-writing of the Code in this area should be done in consultation with Members of the House and that the House should then be given an opportunity to consider any implications that flow from the changes for its own resolutions. (Conclusion, Paragraph 41)
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges concerns and commits to updating the language of the Ministerial Code, while reasserting that the Code's content is ultimately a matter for the Prime Minister, but also commits to working constructively with Members.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The Government acknowledges the Committee’s concerns about the Code as currently drafted, and will look to update the language. The Code sets out the Prime Minister’s expectations of all who serve in government. The contents of the Code are a matter for the Prime Minister, rather than Parliament - and successive governments have taken that approach. 11. The Government remains committed to working constructively with Members to ensure any changes continue to allow Parliamentarians to uphold their role in scrutinising and debating the Government’s policies effectively.
Source
Report
4th Report - Ministerial Statements and the Ministerial Code
09 Jan 2026
HC 1036
Timeline
Recommendation age
0.6 yr
Report published
09 Jan 2026