Officials’ committees have been established for most Cabinet committees to support Cabinet committee chairs in progressing the government’s policy agenda.
Officials’ committees support the chairs of Cabinet committees in ensuring that:
- critical papers are on track for consideration, and have sufficient time on the Cabinet committee agenda for discussion
- papers are commissioned if there are policy gaps
- papers on related issues are connected, and considered together, if necessary and appropriate
- papers on minor issues that can be dealt with between Ministers and departments, and do not require consideration by a Cabinet committee, are filtered out
- assuring quality by providing constructive feedback to departments on draft papers (where the officials’ committee reviews the draft) and/or the outcome of Cabinet committee discussions.
At the point when a paper is first uploaded through CabNet for a Cabinet committee (i.e. when it is uploaded for approval by a Minister), the officials’ committee for that Cabinet committee will be provided with access to the paper, and subsequent versions of the paper and related documents.
Departments should contact officials’ committee convenors about upcoming papers and the work of the officials’ committee, including whether attendance is required at an officials’ committee meeting. The current membership of officials’ committees and contact details are regularly emailed by Cabinet Office to Minister's Offices and agencies.
- For more information, read the guidance on attending Cabinet committees