ABSTRACT
The Executive includes the government, the monarchy, the Civil Service, local government, the armed forces and the police. The areas examined within this topic tend to vary, and students should be guided in their revision by their own courses. For example, some courses include material on local government and central-local government relationships; others look at the issue of regulation and quangos in some details. The royal prerogative is a major part of any study of the Executive; it is considered in the previous chapter. This chapter will concentrate on the operation of central government, which includes consideration of the role of the Cabinet and the relationship between ministers, their departments and civil servants. Questions in this area tend to concern the relationship between the prime minister and the Cabinet and the extent to which individual ministers and government in general are responsible to Parliament. The latter topic has recently taken on greater importance following the Scott Report and the continuing concern about ministerial responsibility and accountability. Questions on the difficulties and confusions thrown up by the new approach to responsibility and, in particular, the issues raised by the Next Steps agencies are very likely to be set. Clearly, government and Parliament are closely interlocked: government is part of the Executive but also dominates the legislative body – Parliament – and therefore there is some overlap between this area and Chapter 3 on the House of Commons. Chapter 3 is, however, concerned with the efficacy of scrutinising procedures in the House of Commons whereas, although such matters are touched on in this chapter, its emphasis is on the principle of ministerial responsibility.
