Ministerial Responsibility

This volume contains a selection of articles and other source materials designed to illustrate the character and modern development of the doctrine of ministerial responsibility, which is central to the working of the British Parliamentary system of government. Collective and individual responsibility are covered, together with the changing role of the civil service in relation to ministers and parliament. The readings in this series are chosen from a variety of journals and other sources designed to cover major areas or issues in the study of politics, government and political theory. Each volume contains an introductory essay by the editor and a select guide to further reading.Table of ContentPart 1 Responsible government - its principles: the principles of Cabinet government, Lord Morley; the House of Commons and the Executive, Sidney Low; ministerial responsibility and the Rule of Law, A.V.Dicey; responsibility in British politics, A.H.Birch. Part 2 Collective responsibility: government defeats in the House of Commons - myth and reality, Philip Norton; collective ministerial responsibility and collective solidarity, David L.Ellis; the "Agreement to Differ" of 1975, Arthur Silkin; ministers' memoirs - the Radcliffe Committee report; access to a previous government's papers, Lord Hunt of Tanworth; ministers and the Attorney-General, J.Ll.J.Edwards; the Westland affair, Peter Hennessy. Part 3 Individual responsibility: prime ministerial answerability, Sir Harold Wilson; ministerial resignations, D.E. and G.Butler; the Crichel Down case, D.N.Chester; another view of Crichel Down, I.F.Nicolson; the individual responsibility of ministers, S.E.Finer; individual responsibility - some post-war examples, Geoffrey Marshall; Mr Brittan's case - the Defence Committee; the duties and responsibilities of civil servants in relation to ministers, Robert Armstrong; civil servants and ministers - the Treasury and Civil Service Committee; secrecy disclosures by public servants, Yvonne Cripps.