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Attendance at Committee Meetings

Ministers' Attendance

For Ministers, attendance at Cabinet Committee meetings should take precedence over all their other Ministerial business, apart from Privy Council, although it is understood that Ministers may occasionslly have to be absent for reasons of Parliamentary business.

Even if Ministers do not have a direct departmental interest in an issue, they are expected to attend to ensure that any decision reached reflects the collective view of the Government. They may also have a personal or political interest in the issue under discussion and, in these circumstances, can provide effective support to the Chair in resolving disputes between other Ministers.

If the Chair cannot attend the meeting, the meeting will usually be postponed. If for reasons of urgency the meeting must go ahead, the next most senior Minister on the Committee should take the chair.

For Prime Ministerial chaired Committees, the Prime Minister may designate a Deputy Chair to chair in his absence.

If Committee members are unable to attend:

• Should they have views they wish to register, they may write to the Committee Chair, copied to other members and the Cabinet secretary, no later than one day before the meeting.
• Members may nominate another Minister to attend on their behalf. It is the responsibility of the Minister's department to arrange this substitute and for their private office to inform the appropriate support office within the Secretariat

Officials' Attendance

On the Cabinet Secretary's advice, attendance at Cabinet Committees is kept to a minimum. This reflects Ministers' desire for free-ranging discussions in an atmosphere that facilitates open and frank exchange of views. Consequently, attendance is confined to Ministers and Committee secretaries (typically 2 people from the Secretariat).

In some cases, other people may be invited to attend.

• There is a standing invitation for a member of the Prime Minister’s Office to attend any Cabinet Committee.
• HM Treasury officials and the Permanent Secretary of the Department under examination attend the Public Expenditure Committee (PSX).
• The Senior Responsible Owner and head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit will be invited to attend Cabinet Committees where progress on the delivery of a Public Service Agreement is being discussed.
• Some Committees draw on the advice of people with specialist knowledge, such as the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, the Chief Medical Officer or the Director General of the Security Service.
• The Chair of a Cabinet Committee may bring a private secretary.
• Otherwise officials, other than Committee secretaries, attend only very exceptionally by agreement with the Chair of the Committee, on the advice of the Committee Secretariat. Usually this will only be if a presenting Minister has specifically requested support during a discussion (e.g. contributing specific, technical information). On such occasions, officials may be asked by the Chair to leave once their contribution is complete.