ABSTRACT
For a long time meetings of the Privy Council have been held only for the purpose of exercising prerogative or statutory powers of the Crown, without discussion, to give effect to decisions taken by the Cabinet. If the King's powers were subject to Parliament's approval, and exercised by ministers under the King, Parliament could refuse to grant money to ministers of whom it disapproved. From this it was a fairly short step to the principle that it could require the ministers to give an account of their actions, in order that Parliament could have knowledge on which to base approval or disapproval. The Bill of Rights did not create this new parliamentary sanction against ministers, but it created conditions favourable to the development of such a sanction if it should occur to Parliament to use it.
