Francis Maude published a statement on 17 October outlining that the guidance for department officials and agencies on giving evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees, known as the Osmotherly Rules, had been updated.
Maude stated that the updated guidance “restates the primacy of the principle of ministerial accountability, but confirms that the senior responsible owners (SROs) of the government’s major projects (as defined by the Major Project Authority’s Portfolio) will now be directly accountable to Parliament for the implementation of their project.”
Maude points out that former accounting officers can also be called to give evidence regarding their previous responsibilities “within a reasonable time period”.