and Departments cannot insist on seeing copies. If a Report is known to be imminent, it may help Departments if their liaison officer can contact the Clerk to the Committee on an informal basis about the likely time-table, so that Departments can have as much notice as possible.
Immediate Comment
57.
This period of notice enables Departments to prepare Press briefing as appropriate for comment on the Report as soon as it is published. These 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 64-66), which must first be given to Parliament.
58. 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, form 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 borne in mind that the Press are entitled to get advance copies at the same time as the Department (cf paragraph 56 above), so that questions may arise almost as soon as the copies are available.
59. 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 Government's reply) should seem to anticipate that reply. On the other hand, there is no objection to the provision 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 evidence given to the Committee and published with the Report, which 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.
60. Where a Select Committee Report concerns more than one Department, the 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.
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