65.
ii)
Memoranda or letters to the Committee.
A Memorandum by a Department to the Committee, or a letter from a Minister to the Chairman, may be a more readily
The applicable form of reply to minor recommendations. reply still becomes evidence submitted to the Committee, which the Committee may publish (or not) if it so decides and, if desired, with its own further comments on the Government's reply. Publicity thus is in the Committee's hands. Alternatively, Committees may, on request, agree to earlier publication by a Department. This is usually done by the Department placing a copy of the reply in the House Library and drawing attention to this by means of a Written Answer, preferably in response to a question asked by the Committee Chairman.
iii)
Oral Statement
In the case of an oral statement on the floor of the House, whether made separately or as part of a Ministerial speech, Departments should write to the Committee as soon as possible drawing their attention to the statement and, if appropriate, making it clear that no further reply is envisaged.
There is no obligation to reply individually to every point made by a Committee: some may be obiter dicta: some may not be addressed to the Government but to the House (eg certain recommendations of the Procedure Committee) or to other bodies: some may be conveniently covered in one omnibus comment. Occasionally, the report may contain observations by the Committee which, while not recommendations, do require a response. In the period between a Committee's report and the formal Government reply, there need be no constraint on Departments taking action on any recommendation made by the Committee. However, when such action is taken the Committee should be informed, a Parliamentary announcement should be considered, and in any event the formal Government reply to the Committee should refer to the action taken (see also paragraph 19). Conversely, if acceptance or implementation of a recommendation occurs some time after the formal reply has been
A copy of given the Committee should be made aware of the fact.
all Government replies to Committee recommendations in whatever form, should be sent to the office of the Leader of the House of Commons and, where appropriate, to the office of Leader of the House of Lords.
66. Replies to reports by Committees which have not been reappointed can take any of the forms noted in paragraph 64, other than reply by Memorandum to the Committee.
CABINET OFFICE
OFFICE OF THE MINISTER POR THE CIVIL SERVICE MARCH 1988
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