Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing in full the submissions made to legislative consultations.

The Cabinet Office is responsible for the Government Consultation Principles, which provide departments with guidance on conducting consultations. Individual departments are responsible for their own consultation practice. The Principles are published at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691383/Consultation_Principles__1_.pdf

The Consultation Principles are clear that consultations should be targeted. This should include consideration of how to tailor consultation to the needs and preferences of particular groups affected by a policy. The Principles also state that in responding to a consultation the government should explain the responses that have been received, state how many responses have been received and how these have informed the policy. Decisions on the potential merits of publishing individual responses to consultations are for consulting departments.