MPs must be held to account, says report

MINISTERS should be forced to explain themselves to MPs if policies go wrong, even if they are no longer in office, according to a think tank.

The Institute for Government (IfG) has demanded scrutiny be beefed up by allowing Westminster select committees to recall MPs for a grilling.

The IfG report suggests the architects of policies such as the “hostile environment” or failed probation reforms should be directly held to account to strengthen public faith.

IfG senior researcher Benoit Guerin said officials could also be called on, particularly when foreseeable risks were not flagged up to the minister.

He said: “Governing has become increasingly complex, but that is not an excuse for negligence.

“The public’s dissatisfaction with the Government’s response to Windrush and other scandals shows that there are dangerous weaknesses in the current accountability system.”

Other recommendations include clarifying what people get for the money spent on public services, improving specialist skills across Whitehall to prevent repeated failures, and better scrutinising the links between local public services.

Public Accounts Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier welcomed the report, which she said echoed many of her own recommendations.

Conservative former Cabinet minister Dominic Grieve said he hoped the recommendations would be acted upon.