Responsible Government Flashcards
Who comprises the central executive?
PM and cabinet
What are the PM’s powers by convention?
Advising king to appoint/remove ministers
size and composition of cabinet
General policy direction of government
Subject matter/composition of cabinet committees
When cabinet meets
Agenda for cabinet discussion
What role is the PM also?
Minister for civil service
First Lord of the treasury
What is the role of the cabinet office?
Support pm and cabinet
Ensure civil service helps government attain policy goals
What is the cabinet office responsible for?
Political and constitutional reform
Civil service
Supporting national security council/joint intelligence organisation
Independent parliamentary standards authority
Who mostly conducts privy council day to day business?
Government ministers
What do privy council members swear?
Oath of allegiance
What was ruled in miller?
Proroguing Parliament was unlawful
Under what powers does the cabinet exist?
Convention
What is the cobra committee?
Mechanism for government to agree response to major emergencies
What is collective ministerial responsibility?
Government ministers are bound by the collective decisions of cabinet
What are the three components of collective ministerial responsibility?
Confidentiality
Unanimity
Confidence
What is the doctrine of individual ministerial responsibility?
Ministers accept responsibility and if necessary resign for errors and failures of their department
Why is there uncertainty around the doctrine of individual ministerial responsibility?
Short term realities of the political world
Assessing degree of fault in a time of big government
What are the two ministerial responsibility situations as laid out by maxwell fyfe?
Where minister had personal involvement or knowledge of the issue
Where minister played no role and given the size of government couldn’t have been expected to