Select "Committees - memorandum of
Guidance for Officials (extract)
Immediate Comment
52.
soon
These
This period of notice enables Departments to prepare Press briefing as appropriate for comment on the Report as
as it is published. immediate comments are, however, subject to certain rules and conventions because it is vital that they should not appear to anticipate or prejudice the Government's final and considered reply to the Committee's recommendations
(see paragraphs 59-60), which rust first be given to Parliament.
53. When they are aware of the prospective publication of a Select Committee Report with which they are concerned, the Department should consider what, if any, for of Press briefing is desirable, eg whether to issue an immediate Press Notice at the same time as the publication of the Report or simply to provide material to the departmental Press Office against the possibility of Press enquiries. It should be bome in mind that the Press are entitled to get advance copies at the same time as the Department (cf paragraph 51 above), so that questions may arise almost as soon as the copies are available
54.
It is a point of overriding importance that the Government's final and considered reply to the specific recommendations of a Select Committee should be delivered first to Parliament. This means that nothing in the comments given to the Press (immediately on publication of the Report or in the Intervening period up to the delivery of the Goverment's reply) should see to anticipate that reply. On the other hand, there is no objection to the prevision of relevant background information or to the correction of mis- statements of fact; and, if desired, it may be possible to answer specific criticisms or comments by reference to other paragraphs in the Report or to
Committees evidence given to the Committee and published with the Report. frequently publish with their Reports the evidence they have taken; do such cases the evidence may be quoted without risking a breach of Parliamentary privilege. Questions from the Press about a Committee's recommendations should be answered by saying that they will be fully considered and answered as soon as possible by an official reply.
the
55. Where a Select Committee Report concerns more than one Department, Department with the major interest should co-ordinate the Press briefing, though Press enquiries may be answered by the other Departments concerned on the agreed lines.
will
56. I respect of "cmnibus" Reports from the Public Accounts Committee, it is for Departments to prepare their own Press Notices, if any, and information to be given to the Press. There is, however, a specific undertaking given to the Committee by the Treasury in December 1968 that infomation provided by Departments to the Press will be confined to background and supplementary information of a character not intended to be "controversial comments" not contain argument about the Committee's recommendations, and will be "yetted" by the pastry As far as possible a record should be kept of these departmental statements so that disputes about their form and content may be avoided. The arrangements in this paragraph apply to immediate comment on Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Timing and Manner of Formal Reply
57.
Select Committees have cften been critical of the time taken by Depart- ments to reply to their Reports, and the Procedure Committee have
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