First Report - The role and status of the Prime Minister’s Office

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.