Reply from the Prime Minister to the Chairman
of the Public Administration Committee
Thank you for your letter of 10 May.
As you know, evidence to Select Committees is
normally provided by "line" departments or via a Government
memorandum. Prime Ministers have not themselves, by long-standing
convention, given evidence to Select Committees. That remains
the position.
In addition, we are carefully considering the
Sixth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life which
includes a number of recommendations for amendments to the Ministerial
Code. We aim to respond to the Neill Committee before the summer
recess. At present, therefore, the Government has nothing to add
to the evidence given to the Neill Committee as part of their
study.
Rt Hon Tony Blair, MP
26 May 2000
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