Contents
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs
2 Referendums and representative democracy in the UK
“A device so alien to all our traditions”?
A competitive or complementary relationship? Referendums and Parliament
Reconciling referendums and representative democracy
The importance of a clear question for a clear outcome
The legal status of referendums
3 The regulatory framework for referendums
The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
Reforming the regulatory framework for referendums
Other proposals for legislative and regulatory reform
4 The Electoral Commission and the administration of the referendum
The role of the Electoral Commission during referendums
Administrative issues that arose during the referendum
Administrative and regulatory issues
Assessments of the administration of the referendum
Regulator and provider: the Electoral Commission’s dual role
5 The machinery of government during the referendum
Guidance and the Civil Service Code
The suspension of collective responsibility and the guidance given to Civil Servants
The publication of referendum-related government documents
The Government’s policy on Civil Service contingency planning
Conclusion: the machinery of government and the EU referendum
Conclusions and recommendations
Annex 4: Issues raised by the Cabinet Secretary’s guidance of 23 February
List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament
11 April 2017