Secretariats website
Last updated: 06 May 2009
This chapter is designed to help you if you are involved with the preparations for a meeting of Cabinet.
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The Cabinet Secretary’s office manages the process of organising Cabinet meetings. With assistance from the Cabinet Secretariat, they circulate papers, prepare the agenda (under the Prime Minister's direction) and the Prime Minister’s brief, circulate the minutes, and store them.
Ministers should give seven days' notice to the Cabinet Secretary’s office of any business likely to require substantive policy discussion (including business to be raised orally).
The Secretariat prepares the agenda for Cabinet meetings which is agreed by the Prime Minister and may contact the offices of Secretaries of State to request that a Secretary of State make a presentation, present a paper or raise an issue orally.
Where a Minister wishes to tell Cabinet about an issue on which no substantive policy discussion is expected, the private office should alert the Cabinet Secretary’s office, copying in the relevant secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Principle Private Secretary on the morning of the day before Cabinet (usually a Monday morning).
Once an item has been logged in this way, the Minister concerned must be briefed by their department and ready to contribute to the meeting. Failure to do so, or raising issues without notice, can disrupt the Cabinet agenda.
The Cabinet Secretary’s office is responsible for circulating papers and ensuring presentation equipment is available. Papers must be with them on the Friday before the Cabinet meeting. Presentations should be with them on the day before the Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet Secretary briefs the Prime Minister for Cabinet. Departments must make any draft papers, presentations or speaking notes available to the area of the secretariat that is preparing the Prime Minister's brief two days before Cabinet. The secretariats may need to ring round private offices and officials to understand the detail of agenda items. Which secretariat is engaged will depend on the subject matter and the Cabinet Secretary's office will be able to advise. The Economic and Domestic Secretariat usually coordinates contributions to the brief.
The Cabinet Secretary along with the Deputy Secretaries will write, circulate and store the conclusions from Cabinet meetings. Distribution of Cabinet Minutes is kept to a minimum.