Ministers ‘should be held to account’

Ministers should be forced to explain themselves to MPS if policies go wrong, even if they are no longer in office, according to a thinktank.

The Institute for Government (IFG) has demanded scrutiny be beefed up by allowing Westminster select committees to recall former 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 in institutions.

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.

“These can be addressed, and we suggest steps the government should take to strengthen accountability.”

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.

Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Commons public accounts committee, welcomed the report, which she said echoed many of her own recommendations.

The Labour MP said people need to be willing to “step up” when things go wrong and there should be more pre-scrutiny of plans to prevent taxpayers’ money going to waste.

She said: “These are all big challenges for the government which it needs to take notice of and take action on, and I hope it will carefully consider the Ifg’s report.”