Ministerial Responsibility

Question 1

Individual Ministerial Responsibility: Ministers

Answer 1

Either cabinet ministers, who are the heads of major gov departments or junior ministers whi work in an area of a government department under the cabinet minister

Question 2

Individual Ministerial Responsibility

Answer 2

holds responsibilty to ministers for their actions and departments actions. Responsible for peformance and are expected to resign if theres major failing in deparments work or conduct. States that ministers must be competent and take personal responisibility in their personal life and behave appropriately

Question 3

Individual Ministerial Responsibility Examples

Answer 3

Amber Rudd, previous home secretary resigned in 2018 after she misled Home Affairs select committee over her departments targets for deporting illegal immigrants

Question 4

Individual Ministerial Responsibility Advantages

Answer 4

Means that a strong standard behaviour is maintained by government officials who are at the top of public life

Holds the government accountable for their behaviour to the public
- Michael Fallon, defence secretary, resigned in 2017 after claims were made against his sexual conduct

Question 5

Individual Ministerial Responsibility Disadvantages

Answer 5

Fails when ministers choose not to resign and blame others in their department for failings
- 2011, the Home Secretary Theresa May did not resign over weakened border checks which allowed foreign criminals and terrorist suspects into the UK, instead blaming Brodie Clark (the head of the UK Border Force at the time)

Question 6

Collective Ministerial Responsibility

Answer 6

Ministers that fail to publicly support cabinet policies must resign from the governent
- 2018 Boris Johnson resigned as foreign secretary as he disagreed with the governments ‘Chequers deal’ for leaving the EU

Question 7

Collective Ministerial Responsibility Advantages

Answer 7

Ensures the gov appears united and that ministers support all other gov members

Ensures a strong government as it means the gov has a clear position on policies
- 2013 Lib dem ministers sided with conservative ministers opposing a mansion tax, which they had previously supported, which ensured a strong coalition gov

Question 8

Collective Ministerial Responsibility Disadvantages

Answer 8

Means that ministers have to defend policies they do not agree with, meaning policies can be forced upon them by the PM
- Members of Tony Blair’s Cabinet were not asked for ther apporvak on Invading Iraq 2003, cabinet claimed they were forced to agree

Question 9

Relaxing Collective responsibility

Answer 9

In cases where the PM may want to keep a politician in the cabinet but know they cannot support a particular issue, they may relax collective responsibility
- David Cameron relaxed it during the EU referendum, giving ministers the choice to campaign for staying or leaving