Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what advice his Department provides to other Departments on the threshold required to be met before a public inquiry can be convened; and if he will make a statement.

Section 1 of the Inquiries Act 2005 sets out the extent of ministers’ powers to establish an inquiry under that Act. Inquiries may also be established on a non-statutory basis, for which no legislative threshold applies.