Lord Heseltine and David Blunkett give evidence
15 July 2009 (updated on 22 April 2010)
Lord Heseltine and David Blunkett MP (pictured) appear before the House of Lords Constitution Committee at 11am as it takes evidence for its inquiry into the contemporary workings of the Cabinet Office and the centre of government.
The Committee's inquiry seeks to investigate the role of the Cabinet Office in the light of the changing nature of British governance.
The inquiry looks into all aspects of the work of the Cabinet Office, and in particular considers:
- how the work of the Cabinet Office is now understood and defined both within and outside government;
- the effect of a shift in resources from departments to the centre;
- how the Cabinet Office’s relationships with all units across Whitehall and beyond, including at a European and devolved level, have altered;
- the impact of change in terms of improving Whitehall’s policy-making capacity; and
- what issues are raised concerning the Cabinet Office’s constitutional position at the ‘centre of government’, notably in terms of responsibility and accountability to Parliament and more broadly, the public.