EU Referendum: Civil Service Guidance Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

EU Referendum: Civil Service Guidance

Dennis Skinner Excerpts
Monday 29th February 2016

(8 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Matt Hancock Portrait Matthew Hancock
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On the legal details, the 2015 Act also requires the Government to express their view and the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 requires civil servants to support the position of the Government of the day. On that basis, it is right to follow the procedure that was agreed by the Cabinet. The position of the Government is set out; Ministers may disagree with it, but civil servants must support the Government’s position.

Dennis Skinner Portrait Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab)
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Here we are on the day after the Oscars. The family is opposite: threat and counter-threat. It reminds me of “The Godfather”. This could be “The Godfather Part IV”: will there be a horse’s head in the bed or will it be another animal?

Matt Hancock Portrait Matthew Hancock
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Well, they say that politics is show business for ugly people, so I will take that as an upgrade.