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Last updated: 06 May 2009
The Committee Secretariat, rather than departmental officials, is responsible for briefing the Committee Chair because the Prime Minister’s appointment of a Committee Chair is to a non-departmental role. This is to ensure that the Chair receives neutral, impartial advice on the issue for discussion, the likely views around the table and options for their resolution. The briefing process involves Committee secretaries:
It is the responsibility of any department initiating or leading on proposals under discussion to ensure that their Minister is sufficiently briefed to answer colleagues' questions and address their concerns.
It is essential that other departments ensure that their Ministers have the correct briefing from their officials on the issues being discussed at Cabinet Committee meetings.
Departments may also wish to consider whether their Minister will want to offer an objective or personal opinion from an informed, non-departmental standpoint. Some of the most successful collective discussions are informed by Ministers giving political insights or talking from personal experience.
Decisions at Cabinet Committees are binding. It is not possible for officials to attempt to reopen any agreed issue on the grounds that their Minister was not properly briefed.