Weak Government Accountability & Scrutiny
Lack of clear departmental responsibility for budgeting tax reliefs and insufficient parliamentary scrutiny of government non-executives.
5,398 items
16 sources
31 inquiries
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
95match
#14 - Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
The Committee was very disappointed that when the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster declined to appear before the Committee on 4th February, Ministers sent in his place were poorly briefed and unable to answer the Committee’s questions. The ability of Select Committees to hold Ministers to account for decisions is a vital part of the democratic process....
Matched on
terms: accountability, government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
91match
#13 - Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
The Cabinet Office must clearly outline responsibilities for decision making, before the Coronavirus Act is considered for renewal after 25th March 2021. This must include Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions 49 clear lines of accountability at Departmental and Ministerial level, stating which Minister is accountable to Parliament for ensuring key decisions are...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
91match
#12 - Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
Throughout this inquiry, it has been unclear which Minister and Department should be held to account for ensuring decisions are underpinned by data. Data is collected by multiple Departments and other bodies, and this Committee expects a clear point of accountability for decisions made based on data from these various sources. It is not acceptable to pass responsibility...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
87match
#16 - Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
The Committee expects that the Rt Hon Michael Gove will respond to this report, clearly outlining his understanding of his own responsibilities, and the ways in which he should be held to account by Parliament. The Committee will put further questions to him at his next appearance in front of us.
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
87match
#15 - Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
This is not the first time that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has tried to avoid his accountability to this Committee. He has sought to ration his appearances by refusing invitations and setting short time-limits when he does appear. It is remarkable to note that the Prime Minister has spent more than an hour longer in...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
85match
#6 - Fifth Report - Local economic growth
Accountability for levelling up outcomes remains unsatisfactory. This Committee has reported before that government’s accountability arrangements had failed to keep pace with increasingly complex ways of delivering policies and services. and that this had weakened accountability to Parliament for the use of public funds. The cross-government nature of the levelling up ambition makes accountability more complicated, and the...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government, weak
Committee recommendation
83match
#18 - Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
The Government’s response to this report should state whether each recommendation is accepted or rejected and should state the next steps the Government will take or provide an explanation for those recommendations rejected. It is not sufficient for the Government to “note” a recommendation, as they have done in the past.
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
83match
#17 - Eighth Report - Government transparency and accountability during Covid 19: The data underpinning decisions
Written correspondence from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster throughout the course of this inquiry has not answered questions posed by this Committee.
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
82match
#4 - Seventeenth Report - Government’s contracts with Randox Laboratories Ltd
The award of the first Randox contract did not receive adequate scrutiny from senior officials and the role of ministers in signing it off was unclear. The Department’s then Second Permanent Secretary had some visibility of the first contract awarded to Randox, but he did not approve it as we would normally expect. Instead, Lord Bethell, the then...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
81match
#73 - 3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit...
Parliament’s ability to effectively scrutinise any new agreements negotiated with the EU before they enter into force is a key test of the Government’s commitment to democratic legitimacy and accountability. It would be a concrete demonstration that lessons have been learned from the inadequate scrutiny processes for the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
78match
#27 - Sixth Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2021–22
The Government has delayed legislative reform for too long and the Committee is particularly disappointed by the Government’s refusal to set out a legislative timetable before the end of this year. Regardless of other pressures on the Government’s legislative programme, ombudsman reform needs to be prioritised. Work to introduce a Bill should not have to wait until the...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
78match
#6 - Rectify reduction in public accountability and consult committees before classifying readiness information
We also recommend that the Government explain why previously unclassified information about readiness is no longer published, recognise the reduction in public and parliamentary accountability that this has brought about, and seek to rectify the situation. In future, when a decision is being considered to classify previously available information, we recommend that the Government should consult the relevant...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
78match
#36 - Require Government to explain readiness data classification and consult committees on future decisions.
We also recommend that the Government explain why previously unclassified information about readiness is no longer published, recognise the reduction in public and parliamentary accountability that this has brought about, and seek to rectify the situation. In future, when a decision is being considered to classify previously available information, we recommend that the Government should consult the relevant...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
78match
#11 - Home Office commits to timely reporting of additional costs for parliamentary scrutiny.
We asked the Home Office how it proposed to report any additional costs to Parliament so that they could be scrutinised. The Accounting Officer told us that he was committed to transparency and reiterated that the costs of the partnership will be set out annually in the annual report and accounts although, on some occasions, the department will...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Inquiry recommendation
77match
COVID-M2.15 - Parliamentary Scrutiny of Emergency Powers
The UK government and devolved administrations should ensure that the draft affirmative procedure is the standard process for enacting substantial and wide-ranging powers in a civil emergency, such as a pandemic, under primary public health legislation. Any departure from this procedure should be the exception, with clear criteria and safeguards in place to prevent the bypassing of parliamentary...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
73match
#80 - 3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit...
It is not clear to us that expecting Departmental Select Committees to fulfil this task would be workable, and nor can they provide the House with a cross-cutting overview of how alignment with EU rules, and limitations on the UK’s regulatory autonomy, are developing across different areas of policy. We do not consider that the scrutiny mechanisms that...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
70match
#3 - Thirty-Seventh Report - Whole of Government Accounts 2018–19
The WGA does not provide assurance that significant risks to the UK’s financial sustainability are well managed. A key consideration for any organisation is its financial sustainability. There are several government liabilities disclosed in the WGA that, due to their size and nature, represent significant risks to the UK finances. For example, the liabilities related to nuclear decommissioning...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
70match
#30 - Sixth Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2021–22
The PHSO’s ability to lay reports before Parliament regarding thematic failings and instances of non-compliance with its recommendations should be a powerful mechanism to bring cases to the attention of parliamentarians, and for the subjects of those reports to be properly and fully held to account. However, it seems that this system is not working effectively if PHSO...
Matched on
terms: scrutiny
Committee recommendation
69match
#12 - First report - Missing in action: UK leadership and the withdrawal from Afghanistan
Without the intervention of whistleblowers, we would not be aware that this intervention had taken place at all, despite asking many questions on the topic. Parliament can only perform its role of holding Government to account if it can be confident that it is receiving honest answers to its questions. The relationship between the Committee and department relies...
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
Committee recommendation
69match
#1 - First report - Missing in action: UK leadership and the withdrawal from Afghanistan
The manner of the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan was a disaster, a betrayal of our allies, and weakens the trust that helps to keep British people safe. It will affect the UK’s international reputation and interests for many years to come. There were systemic failures of intelligence, diplomacy, planning and preparation, which raise questions about machinery...
Matched on
terms: government, weak
Committee recommendation
69match
#78 - 3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit...
The closer relationship with the EU and the accelerating trend towards UK regulatory alignment with the EU does, however, raise important questions about the need for parliamentary scrutiny of EU matters within the House of Commons. In particular, under the envisaged agreements based on dynamic alignment the UK Parliament will, in effect, be asked to outsource more of...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
66match
#5 - Seventeenth Report - Government’s contracts with Randox Laboratories Ltd
The Department failed to hold Randox to account for its performance against its first contract and awarded it another £328 million extension without competition. The Department did not set out any key performance indicators for Randox in its first contract and only introduced performance measures such as test turnaround times from July 2020 – a month after that...
Matched on
terms: government
Inquiry recommendation
65match
P2-25 - Maintain public record of inquiry recommendations
That it be made a legal requirement for the government to maintain a publicly accessible record of recommendations made by select committees, coroners and public inquiries together with a description of the steps taken in response. If the government decides not to accept a recommendation, it should record its reasons for doing so. Scrutiny of its actions should...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Inquiry recommendation
65match
RHI-42 - Ministerial Code Revision
The Code of Conduct issued to Northern Ireland Ministers in 2007 (contained within the Northern Ireland Ministerial Code 2006) should be revised and brought up to date reflecting the findings of the RHI Inquiry and drawing on relevant best practice standards from ministerial codes of conduct used elsewhere in the UK and indeed from Northern Ireland's earlier Ministerial...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
65match
#81 - 3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit...
We agree with the House of Lords European Affairs Committee that Parliament must “play a full scrutiny role” when it comes to matters of alignment with the EU. Given the continued impact of the EU decisions on the UK and the much closer relationship being pursued by the Government, we believe that the House of Commons should establish...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
65match
#75 - 3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit...
It would have been preferable for the Government to publish its Dynamic Alignment Bill for implementation of the relevant new EU agreements in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny at an earlier opportunity so that the detail of this proposed mechanism could have been scrutinised before Parliament is asked to outsource part of its legislative authority to the EU. To...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
65match
#74 - 3rd Report – From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership fit...
We ask the Government to commit to making time for a debate and vote in the House of Commons for each new formal treaty with the EU that is subject to the process in section 20 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 prior to its ratification. Currently there are at least four such treaties expected. When...
Matched on
terms: government, scrutiny
Committee recommendation
65match
#16 - Recommend successor Committee scrutinise National Quantum Strategy, commercialisation, skills, and Horizon Europe access.
Should our successor Committee wish to examine quantum technologies, we recommend it considers: • Scrutinising how the Government is achieving the aims and objectives set out in the National Quantum Strategy and its associated Missions; • Examining how the Government and UK Research and Innovation are supporting the commercialisation of quantum technologies; • Assessing how the Government is...
Matched on
terms: government, weak
NAO recommendation
65match
Lessons learned: tackling fraud and protecting propriety in government spending during an emergency
q) We recommend that the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury: embed into their guidance and training the expectations of how decisions on public spending are to be recorded during an emergency to uphold accountability. Use this to emphasise to staff the importance of maintaining transparency during an emergency.
Matched on
terms: accountability, government
NAO recommendation
61match
A planning and spending framework that enables long-term value for money
Parliament expects to be able to hold the government to account for its delivery of value for taxpayers? money. To do so, Parliament needs timely, complete and transparent information on the government?s objectives, business planning, funding allocations, performance against objectives, spending, and outcome evaluations. The government should inform Parliament what changes it will make to achieve this from...
Matched on
terms: government
Inquiry recommendation
57match
RHI-38 - Assembly Committee Scrutiny
The Inquiry recommends that the Northern Ireland Assembly should strengthen the scrutiny role of Assembly Committees, reviewing whether the existing balance between legislative and scrutiny work is appropriate, and considering whether Committees should have greater research capacity and whether there is more that Committee Chairpersons could do to ensure Committee members are properly briefed.
Matched on
terms: scrutiny
Inquiry recommendation
57match
COVID-M2.6 - Enact Socio-economic Duty
The UK government should bring into force in England section 1 of the Equality Act 2010, implementing the socio-economic duty. The Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive should consider an equivalent provision within section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Matched on
terms: government
Inquiry recommendation
57match
COVID-M2.5 - Advisory Group Terms of Appointment
The Government Office for Science (GO-Science), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Department of Health (Northern Ireland) should each develop standard terms of appointment for all participants in scientific advisory groups. These terms should include: clarity around the nature of an individual's role and the extent of their responsibility, as well as the likely time commitment;...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
57match
#1 - Second Report - Disability employment gap
It is regrettable that the publication of three key documents—the Green Paper, the National Strategy and the Government’s response to the “Health is everyone’s business” consultation—has been delayed significantly over the course of our inquiry. The Government’s approach to the timing of their publication has severely limited Parliament’s opportunities to scrutinise these important policy documents. In finalising this...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
57match
#11 - First report - Missing in action: UK leadership and the withdrawal from Afghanistan
The FCDO has repeatedly given us answers that, in our judgement, are at best intentionally evasive, and often deliberately misleading. On Nowzad, they only admitted that the case had been in any way unusual when faced with the evidence of whistleblowers. At best, the Permanent Under-Secretary displayed a worrying lack of knowledge of the department he leads, and...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
57match
#11 - Third Report - Energy pricing and the future of the Energy Market
We expect Ofgem, as the independent regulator, to clearly outline to Ministers and Parliament the risks and consequences associated with the delivery of Government objectives. We do not believe that Ofgem properly raised the risks to Government, or Parliament, that a deregulatory approach to promoting competition could severely undermine the financial resilience of the energy supplier market.
Matched on
terms: government
NAO recommendation
57match
Dangerous cladding: the government’s remediation portfolio
MHCLG should consider whether there is additional information and data that it could publish about the portfolio that would: enhance the level of transparency for Parliament and the public over portfolio performance ? and therefore whether it is achieving value for taxpayers? money or whether it needs to change approach. For example, it could publish data on the...
Matched on
terms: government
PFD report
53match
Charles Stringer
The council demonstrated a lack of reflection and action on pothole management, with insufficient information for inspectors, mechanistic risk assessments, poor communication, and slow repairs.
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
53match
COVID-M2.4 - Publish Technical Advice During Emergencies
During a whole-system civil emergency, the UK government and devolved administrations should each routinely publish technical advice on scientific, economic and social matters at the earliest opportunity, as well as the minutes of expert advisory groups – except where there are good reasons that prevent publication, such as commercial confidentiality, personal safety or national security, or because legal...
Matched on
terms: government
Inquiry recommendation
53match
COVID-M2.2 - Devolved Nations SAGE Attendance
The Government Office for Science (GO-Science) should invite the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to nominate a small number of representatives to attend meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) from the outset of any future emergency. The status of those representatives as either 'participant' or 'observer' should depend upon their expertise and should...
Matched on
terms: government
Inquiry recommendation
53match
POH-17 - Establish standing public body to administer future redress schemes
As soon as is reasonably practicable, HM Government shall establish a standing public body which shall, when called upon to do so, devise, administer and deliver schemes for providing financial redress to persons who have been wronged by public bodies.
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
53match
#16 - Eleventh Report - Economic impact of coronavirus: gaps in support and economic analysis
We call on the Treasury to be more transparent about the economic analysis which it undertakes to inform Government decisions in the fight against coronavirus and to publish any such analysis in a timely manner. The House should not be asked to take a view on proposals which have far-reaching consequences for the general population, such as those...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
53match
#2 - Twenty-Second - Improving the performance of major defence equipment contracts
We are deeply concerned about departmental witnesses’ inability or unwillingness to answer basic questions and give a frank assessment of the state of its major programmes. The Department is not sufficiently open about programme progress and risks. A few weeks before our evidence session it considered initial operating capability on the Ajax programme achievable by the end of...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
53match
#11 - Fourth Report - Operation Isotrope: the use of the military to counter migrant crossings
The manner in which this decision was announced leaves a lot to be desired. The confusion around the ways and means which will be used to achieve the strategic objective (let alone the strategic objective itself) is unhelpful and does not lend itself to effective scrutiny, particularly when Ministers provide the bare minimum of information. This is compounded...
Matched on
terms: scrutiny
Committee recommendation
53match
#6 - First report - Missing in action: UK leadership and the withdrawal from Afghanistan
The absence of the FCDO’s top leadership—both ministerial and official—when Kabul fell is a grave indictment of the attitudes of the Government, representing a failure of leadership across the board in the Foreign Office. In particular, the fact that the department’s top civil servant did not return until the civilian evacuation was over, while staff across the department...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
53match
#14 - Third Report - Energy pricing and the future of the Energy Market
We require Ofgem to start regularly and proactively reporting to the Department on how it is meeting its duties and to inform Ministers of any risks associated with the delivery of Government strategy. We ask the Department and Ofgem to review, update and publish a new Framework Document within six months of the date of this report.
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
53match
#4 - Twenty-Eighth Report - Improving the Accounting Officer Assessment process
HM Treasury and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) do not always use AO assessments to build their understanding of programmes and systemic issues across government. AO assessments show an accounting officer’s consideration of the risks major spending decisions pose to Managing Public Money and how these risks are managed. The Cabinet Office recognises that, working together with...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
53match
#30 - Eighth Report - Appointment of Richard Sharp as Chair of the BBC
In deciding not to recuse himself from involvement in Sam Blyth’s loan to the then Prime Minister nor to reveal his involvement to either this Committee or the appointments panel, Mr Sharp decided to leave our Committee without the full facts we required to make an informed judgement on his suitability as a candidate. There can be no...
Matched on
terms: scrutiny
Committee recommendation
53match
#28 - Eighth Report - Appointment of Richard Sharp as Chair of the BBC
The public appointments process can only work effectively if all those involved are open and transparent. Richard Sharp chose to tell the then Prime Minister both of his application to Chair the BBC and of his involvement in the arrangement of a loan for the Mr Johnson but decided not to tell either the appointment panel or this...
Matched on
terms: government
Committee recommendation
53match
#18 - Sixth Report - Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy
We recommend that the FCDO demonstrates meaningful engagement and provides the Committee with an annual private report on the progress of UK nationals arbitrarily detained abroad, with follow-up briefing at the Foreign Office if required, to enable the work of Parliament and Government to better serve UK interests. (Paragraph 49) How the UK Government has communicated to Parliament...
Matched on
terms: government