The Accountability
of Deputy Ministers Before Parliament2 February
2006
In normal circumstances, the traditional understanding of
ministerial accountability, whereby ministers are accountable to Parliament and
departmental officials appear before parliamentary committees on behalf of
their minister, work well. When things do not go well, however, and when public
controversy arises, some begin to question this understanding of ministerial
accountability.
This paper seeks to clarify the debate surrounding the
accountability of deputy ministers before parliamentary committees. It begins
by presenting the traditional understanding of ministerial and deputy
ministerial accountability as presented by the Privy Council Office. It then
discusses various recommendations for change that have been made over the past
30 years. A brief discussion of arguments for and against making changes to the
accountability of deputy ministers is included. The paper concludes with a look
at possible future developments.
Written by Alex Smith. Published by
the Library of Parliament, 2006. |
