Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111851 on Law Officers: Equality, whether her Department's document entitled Attorney General's Guidance on Legal Risk, published on 6 November 2024, will be updated to reflect the proposed socio-economic duty when enacted.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The public sector duty regarding socio-economic inequalities is not yet in force in England. Once in force, the duty will require public authorities (including the Law Officers), when making decisions of a strategic nature about how to exercise their functions, to have due regard to the desirability of exercising them in a way that is designed to reduce the inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage.
The Attorney General’s Guidance on legal risk is intended to assist lawyers and others advising on lawfulness and legal risk in government, by setting out a common framework to assess risk. At such time that the duty comes into force, the Law Officers will have due regard to it in deciding whether any updates to this guidance are required.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by Lord Hermer on 26 March (HLWS1472), which departments will be required to use artificial intelligence to "identify existing disproportionate reporting and consultation duties" in existing legislation; what timeline has been set for completing that work; and what steps will be taken once disproportionate duties are identified.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The AI tool has been developed centrally by Cabinet Office and No.10 to identify consultation and reporting duties. We expect all departments to use the tool to identify existing disproportionate reporting and consultation duties, unless there is a justifiable reason not to. Timelines and next steps will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by Lord Hermer on 26 March (HLWS1472), when the new departmental accountability framework will be introduced; who will assess departmental performance against those new frameworks; and what consequences will follow if the targets and expectations in those frameworks are not met.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The new departmental accountability framework has been launched to permanent secretaries for the year 2026-27 and they have started to set objectives against it. The Cabinet Office, led by the Cabinet Secretary, will be responsible for assessing departmental performance against the new framework.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by Lord Hermer on 26 March (HLWS1472), how they will define and set the higher bar for including reporting and consultation requirements in new legislation; and who will apply that test.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
Consultation should only be used when it is the most effective tool for good policymaking, including where fairness requires it, and not used for other reasons. Reporting requirements should not disproportionately slow down delivery. Decisions remain the purview of ministers.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by Lord Hermer on 26 March (HLWS1472), which of the Prime Minster's priorities will be given measurable targets in the new accountability framework.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The new departmental accountability framework has been launched to permanent secretaries for the year 2026-27 and they have started to set objectives against it, taking into account the Prime Minister’s Priorities. The Cabinet Office, led by the Cabinet Secretary, will be responsible for assessing departmental performance against the new framework.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what recent guidance has been issued to prosecutors regarding enforcement against companies engaging in misleading subscription practices.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.
The government has recently published its response to the Consultation on the Implementation of the new Subscription Contracts Regime: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and local Trading Standards can take enforcement action against breaches of consumer protection law, including breaches of the existing and new subscription rules once they are in force. The DMCCA gives the CMA new powers to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on businesses who infringe consumer protection law. We will continue to engage with the CMA ahead of new regulations commencing.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to the Government press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, whether the Attorney General intends to amend the Legal Risk Guidance to facilitate the removal of consultation requirements; and what assessment has been made of the new approach on consultation with the Gunning Principles on consultation.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Government is committed to identifying existing disproportionate reporting and consultation duties that are slowing down delivery. All options are currently being considered to facilitate the removal of unnecessary consultation requirements.
The new approach has taken account of existing legal principles, as will any future changes. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise and challenge any changes to consultation requirements where they are legislative.
The Attorney General’s Guidance on legal risk neither precludes nor requires consultation. Its role is to assist lawyers and others advising on lawfulness and legal risk in government, by setting out a common framework to assess risk.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The AGO is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner.
Data has been withheld where disclosure could risk identifying individuals, and rigorous suppression rules have been applied to each year’s figures, including suppressing any proportions based on fewer than five employees. As a result, no disclosable proportions can be published for these years.
The AGO places strong emphasis on early intervention, regular feedback and development, with formal performance management processes used only where necessary and, on a case ‑by ‑case basis.
Where performance does not improve despite this additional support, dismissal may ultimately be considered.
Asked by: Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many applications to the High Court the Attorney General's Office has made in each of the past five years to designate an individual as a vexatious litigant.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Law Officers have made applications to the High Court under s.42 Senior Courts Act 1981 in each of the last five years as follows:
2021 – 1
2022 - none
2023 - none
2024 – 2
2025 – 2 (3 further applications lodged with directions/hearing dates pending)
These dates relate to when the applications were made at a court hearing.
A list of individuals subject to an order under s.42 and the date the order was made is available online: Vexatious litigants - GOV.UK
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
No civil servant in the AGO was found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2024 or 2025.