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Last updated: 06 May 2009
Collective agreement can be sought:
Correspondence should be used as the means of seeking clearance in most cases as it is less time-consuming than discussion at a Ministerial Committee.
Committee meetings will only be set up by the Chair, on the advice of the Committee secretaries, where there is a need for a Ministerial discussion and where a collective decision cannot be reached by other means. This is to make best use of Ministerial and official time.
If departmental officials feel that a Cabinet Committee meeting is
required in a particular area, they need first to consider the
following criteria:
If the answer to any of the above is 'yes', is it possible to achieve resolution through:
If not, and the Committee Secretariat is satisfied that a meeting is the only option, they will proceed with the necessary arrangements.
Where the Secretariat is informed that the Chair of a Committee wishes to call a meeting, the purpose of the meeting should still be examined, as above, and the Chair advised of the outcome. This is to ensure that the objective of a meeting can be communicated clearly in advance to other participating Ministers. The Secretariat reserves the right to request to see draft papers in advance before arranging a meeting.
This process is illustrated in the following diagram:
Whether seeking clearance through correspondence or a meeting, departments need to prepare well and follow the processes described under the sections on Committee Correspondence and Committee Meetings of this guide.