The Cabinet Manual will be refreshed, prime minister Keir Starmer has announced.
Starmer announced the government’s intention to update the manual – which sets out the laws, conventions and rules under which the government operates – in a written statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday.
The manual is primarily an authoritative reference for ministers and civil servants, but it also has a role in making the operation of government more accessible to parliament and the public. It was first published in 2011 and has not been updated since.
Starmer said that, as a result of the failure to update it, the manual has “become significantly out of date, most notably in its descriptions of general elections, the UK’s relationship with the EU, and the devolution settlements”.
“Its value for ministers and officials, helping them navigate the UK’s constitutional arrangements, has been diminished by this lack of accuracy,” he added.
Starmer said the update will “restore the manual’s status as an authoritative guide” and “will also restate and underline the rules and conventions that underpin our democracy”.
The prime minister said the Cabinet Manual refresh will, alongside wider work to strengthen the operation of government, provide an opportunity to demonstrate the government’s commitment to high standards in public life.
Starmer said this wider work includes a “fundamental review into the organisation, performance, and transformation of the permanent civil service”. CSW has asked the Cabinet Office for further information on this review.
"Incredibly welcome"
The government will seek feedback from the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in the House of Commons and the Constitution Committee in the House of Lords on draft text.
As the manual sets out constitutional arrangements from the view of the executive, the government will not seek parliament’s approval of the text, following the approach established in 2010-11.
"Nevertheless, we hope this engagement will be a meaningful opportunity for MPs and peers to support the drafting process so that the manual continues to be a non-party political document that provides a record of fact," Starmer said.
"An update is long overdue and will serve to benefit ministers, officials, parliament, and the public."
Responding to the announcement, PACAC chair Simon Hoare said: “It is incredibly welcome that the prime minister has decided to end the inertia within central government and ensure the Cabinet Manual is updated. My committee and I look forward to working on ensuring the appropriate revisions are made.”